A Breath
by TheContheDistance
Summary: It was simple. She had lost her memories and she needed to get them back. Tsunade-sama ordered her to go with Sakura to Suna. Who knew what she would find? A story of a new character, Emiko. Set during the time skip. GaaraXOC? Short chapters. Sequel up.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Ok this is my first story. Please review, I need constructive criticism and feedback! So Naruto, a little help here?**

**Naruto: Let's go! TheContheDistance doesn't own me! Or anyone else for that matter! Dattebayo! **

**Me: Sigh… you are such an ADD kid. **

The young nin stumbled past the gates of Konoha, her vision swayed slightly. _Not good. I am going to bleed to death at this point. There has to be a hospital nearby. _The girl limped through the main street, the blood trickled from her forehead and arm. Villagers going about their daily business stopped and pointed in shock. _Shit._ The girl fell to her knees as the blackness surrounded her.

Sakura hummed cheerily to herself. She had been becoming more and more successful with her medical training, and she finally felt valuable to her team. She just had to report to Tsunade-sama on her shift at the hospital and she could hang out with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. She turned the corner to find a group of people huddled in the middle of the street. Curiosity overtook her, and she pushed past the people in the circle. Sakura gasped.

"NANI? Someone get help!" Sakura shouted at the people surrounding her. Some villagers looked at her in fright, and a boy ran off to the hospital. Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself down. She focused her chakra and tried to heal the deep wounds scouring the girl's body. Sakura sighed, it was no use, the wounds were too deep, and she had used up too much chakra anyway. Glaring at the people around her, Sakura bent down to pick the unconscious girl up. Sakura picked up the girl, realizing at the same time that the girl was taller than her but not heavy at all. _I wonder if she has been eating_. The girl's orange hair was matted with blood; it looked like she had taken on a group of shinobi. Sakura carried the girl to the hospital. Sakura watched as the girl was pulled into a hospital room. _She is the same age as I am. _

Emiko felt suffocated for a second. She shifted her arm and nearly cried out in pain. Emiko breathed in and out to calm down. She hadn't opened her eyes yet. She could feel the heavy bandages on her body. Her back suddenly stiffened. There was someone there in the room with her. Emiko's heart began to race, and she heard a strange beeping noise. She began to panic, where the hell was she? What was going on? Emiko opened her eyes to a white room. _A hospital. I got to get out of here._ Her eyes shifted to the person asleep in the chair, just a regular nurse. She breathed out, and calmly took out the IV and got out of bed.


	2. Chapter 2: The Specialty

'**Lo again! Here's the second chapter of the story, take it away Sakura!**

**Sakura: TheContheDistance can't own Naruto, and never will own Naruto and definitely shouldn't own Naruto because he's owned by Masashi Kishimoto-**

**Me: Thank you Sakura! Gah what a know-it-all.**

**Sakura: Hey!**

**Me: Okay, okay calm down.**

Emiko padded out into the main street. Gauging from the rapidly growing darkness, she supposed it was about to be dinner time. Her stomach rumbled. How long was it since she had last eaten, no wonder she felt so faint. Emiko shook the dizziness away. She had money after all. She could get something to eat first and then plan where she could sleep, then what else to do. There was a stall that said "Ichiraku" over the roof. Emiko shrugged and took a seat. The nin looked at the board. _Naruto special? What the hell was that supposed to be?_ The cook looked over at her.

"Naruto special?" She asked as if she wasn't sure it even existed. The cook shrugged and nodded. It looked like a good deal for a lot of food.

"Naruto special, ne?" Emiko turned to see a kid with spiky yellow hair leer at her. Emiko frowned.

"Aa."

"I heard that Naruto is a pretty awesome guy, not to mention the number one best ninja ever!"

Emiko turned her head to roll her eyes. This must be Naruto. Figures. She almost smirked but kept her face straight. _This is going to be interesting._

"Well, I wish I could meet this Naruto. I'm kinda low on cash, I'd be awfully grateful if he could help pay the tab." Naruto snickered. _Baka_. Emiko laughed in her head. The cook handed her the food, she looked at Naruto innocently. Naruto grinned and put down his money.

"Eh why not?" Emiko gave a fake smile and started eating. Naruto began to talk avidly about some girl called "Sakura" and how he needed to train to be Hokage. Emiko blinked. She didn't even know where she was. She mentally slapped herself.

"The Hokage of…?" Emiko blinked, she kept her face nonchalant. Naruto frowned and closed his eyes. No wonder, this wasn't just some random villager he hadn't seen before. The orange-haired girl wasn't from Konoha. The girl turned to look at him. Naruto didn't notice the scar under her cheek before.

"Konoha." Emiko nodded her head. She had now figured out where she was the next thing to do would be to find a place to spend the night. She highly doubted there were any uninhabited apartments around here. Emiko walked away from the stall. She could here Naruto squeak and he ran after her. Emiko dodged his outstretched hand. She turned around. _I shouldn't draw attention to myself with this guy. Despite the fact he is a loud idiot, I kinda like him. I won't hurt him then, but I will scare him off._

"Let me get this clear," Emiko seemed to grow a foot higher than the yellow-haired nin in front of her, "you will never attempt to touch me again. I will break your arm and then break every other limb of yours." Naruto's eyes widened, this girl wasn't joking, and she was scarier than Sakura. Emiko walked away. It was to the rooftops then. Her vision suddenly blurred and swayed. _Not again._ She heard running steps come toward her.


	3. Chapter 3: The Friend

**Hey time for the 3****rd**** chapter! Please review! It's nice to know if anyone is reading the story! Anyway, who should announce the disclaimer today? I got it!**

**Me: Alright, go for it!**

**Kankuro: Alright, alright, shrimp.**

**Me: What was that? I am going to threaten you with Temari's cooking!**

**Kankuro: Hehe, no need to go that far! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. Happy now?**

**Me: Meh sure. Long chapter time!**

"I don't know Naruto-kun," a girl's voice whispered, "she ran away from the hospital a while ago. Her injuries are really bad. I mean, I found her the day she came to the village, the wounds were deep enough that I couldn't heal them there. And now Tsunade-sama is anxious to meet her for some reason." Emiko didn't open her eyes, but exhaled quietly. She must be back at the hospital again.

"I couldn't leave her there, Sakura-chan."

"Baka," She heard a slap and whine.

"Nani? What was that for Sakura-chan?" _Naruto._ Emiko struggled to open her eyes. She was in the hospital again, in the bed with white sheets. She looked up to see a pink-haired girl and Naruto. _That pinky must be Sakura. And she found me? When was that?_ Sakura waved her hand in an uncomfortably. Naruto grinned.

"Hi again! This is Sakura-chan! And I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Sakura glared at her friend. Emiko didn't move. Sakura looked terrified and Naruto sweat-dropped. _Her eyes scare me._ Naruto grinned to try to make the strange girl feel less jumpy. Emiko gave a well-practiced glare.

"When did you find me?" Sakura jumped at this sudden response.

"A w-week and a half ago."

The orange-haired girl narrowed her eyes. _It's been that long? I couldn't have been in the hospital more than two days the first time._ Emiko almost laughed to herself. _Well that solved the sleeping arrangements._ Emiko tried to calm down, she needed to think of a plan. Her arm was still in bandages, as well as her side and legs.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked tentatively. Emiko glared at the pink-haired medic. There wouldn't be any progression if Emiko didn't let off somewhere. The medic seemed somewhat trustworthy. It didn't matter anyway; she was getting out of this town as soon as possible.

"Emiko," she replied slowly. Sakura nodded.

"Well, Emiko, you need to visit Tsunade-sama as soon as you can walk," Sakura sat down, now feeling more comfortable around this stranger. Naruto snickered.

"Grandma Tsunade!" Sakura glared at him reproachfully. Emiko made to get out of bed. Sakura quickly made to push her down.

"I wouldn't do that, Sakura-chan," Naruto advised. The patient glared murderously, proving Naruto's point.

"You can't get out of bed yet. Your injuries are still bad." Sakura protested. Naruto shrugged his agreement. Suddenly a silver-haired shinobi appeared in the room accompanied with a puff of smoke. Emiko's back stiffened.

"Yo."

"Kaskashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto yelped. Sakura was caught of guard and squeaked when she saw him appear.

"Hope I didn't scare anyone. Time to train Naruto," the Jounin winked and grinned through his mask. Naruto ran out of the hospital after a quick wave to his friends. Kakashi disappeared again. Sakura had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. They always had to go train, she couldn't ever come along. They could never just simply "hang out". It was frustrating and grated on her nerves. Sakura then realized she was in a hospital room with a seemingly homicidal patient.

Emiko looked at her. Sakura sighed.

"They always leave me behind," Sakura looked more closely at this girl. The girl was definitely a ninja, what level Sakura had no idea. But more than that, the girl was pretty. She had an orange-brown hair color with a head band, with a side part hanging over the left side of her forehead, which, Sakura felt a twinge of jealousy, was very small. On Emiko's right cheek a long thin scar ran straight across. Sakura thought that her eyes were terrifying and beautiful. They were a deep grey, and huge at that, her eyes seemed to do the talking, and could show any emotions she could possibly be feeling. Sakura felt a tiny bit jealous of Emiko's looks.

"Nani?" Sakura jumped out of her thoughts, she turned to look at the girl. Emiko was standing with the IV plugged out of her arm, and she wasn't shaking at all. Sakura gaped at her. Emiko closed her eyes slowly.

"I want to see Tsunade, if that is the person who wants to meet me." Emiko stated bluntly. Sakura took a deep breath and led the orange-haired girl to get her clothes. Sakura wanted to know about Emiko, she was really strange and was in complete control of herself at all times, which reminded her of someone she really cared for. A certain black-haired guy.

"What happened to you, to get you so messed up?" Sakura called into the dressing room. Emiko walked out in her normal clothes and looked at Sakura.

"I don't know. I forgot what's happened in my life," Emiko suddenly looked almost, frightened. "I don't know where I came from. I don't have any more money, and I can't go back." _You need to calm down. You can't just spew your problems on this random girl. You have some money. Once you see this lady you can get out of here, and figure out the rest for yourself. You are still the Nigenasai, and that will be the only thing you can't run away from. Just relax. Calm down. Keep control. _

Sakura looked shocked; she needed to talk to Tsunade-sama about all this. Maybe, possibly, the girl could stay with her. She seemed like a good ninja, she could help find Sasuke-kun! At that thought, Sakura's heart thumped painfully. She still missed him after all that time.

The two girls approached the Hokage's office. Sakura knocked, and entered with Tsunade's permission. Tsunade's desk was covered with papers as usual; Sakura sighed and shook her head at this. Tsunade looked Emiko up and down over her interlaced fingers. She looked evenly back at the one who she assumed was Hokage. She was seemingly young, and pretty. How could she get away with being Hokage? The girl blinked. _No. This is one of the Sanin. I will not be rude whatsoever. What she says goes. She deserves my respect. _Emiko decided to keep a cool front, but she was going to be courteous at least.

Sakura began to explain what had happened, or what she knew. Then she proceeded to tell Tsunade about the orange-haired girl in front of her. Tsunade didn't move a muscle. Emiko breathed out before she began speaking.

"Tsunade-sama, I would be known as the Nigenasai, I remember being called that. I have forgotten most of what has happened to me. I know that I have lived in certain places, by recognizing certain areas. I know I have lived here at some point."

Tsunade continued to look at the girl. She had heard vague rumors about one called by that, she had never been interested in the story before. Apparently, the Nigenasai was very good at types of taijutsu and ninjutsu, which led to people hunting her down. And naturally, she was a missing nin. Tsunade sighed: it was her job to decide on this girl's future.

"Sakura-chan, I want you to take Emiko back to the hospital and keep her there for a week at least. Am I correct in that Naruto is leaving in two days to train with Jiraiya?" Sakura nodded, "In that case, team 7 is currently going to consist of Emiko and Sakura while Naruto and Sasuke are gone. I will find you an apartment Emiko. That will be all for now."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Emiko and Sakura said together and bowed. They left to go back to the hospital. Emiko was filled with… relief? Anxiety? Apprehension would be the best word for her feelings, Emiko mused. They walked in silence. The night was quickly setting in, and they decided to get food before going back to the hospital.

"So… Emiko?" Sakura looked over at her new friend. The girl sipped her tea.

"Mn. Nani?"

"What's the Nigenasai about?" Emiko put her tea down. She only vaguely knew herself. And what she did know she didn't want to tell a girl that she'd known for a day. She'll tell the truth. Not all of it of course, but some.

"I run away. I've lived in many places, and I'm considered a missing nin. The problem is I don't know where I come from."

"Aa." Sakura bit into her dinner. Her thoughts drifted to her best friend. Naruto-kun was leaving in two days. She was going to miss his stupid antics. The baka. And now she was going to have to become best friends with a run away.

"What are you thinking?" Sakura looked up, baffled. Emiko shrugged.

"Tell me about yourself. You already know more than anyone else about me." Sakura sighed. Open herself up to a stranger. Sakura grinned, she could do that. And since Naruto was leaving, Sakura would only have Ino-pig to hang out with. So why not make a new best friend? She was her new teammate after all. Sakura started to talk about herself, and as she talked, the tension seemed to disappear. Emiko was a fantastic listener; she was attentive and even gave a hesitant smile once or twice. The restaurant closed, and they began to walk around Konoha. Sakura showed her new friend certain spots, and continued to talk. By the time the two were back at the hospital, it was close to midnight. Emiko and Sakura had become comfortable with each other, and felt like they really had become friends.


	4. Chapter 4: The Genins

**Right-o, so this is going to be another long chapter. And thanks to the people who put this story on their favorites. So who wants to say the disclaimer? How about Kakashi?**

**Sasuke: Why can't I ever say the disclaimer?**

**Me: Sigh, why don't you just go run away from your fan girls?**

**Sasuke: Ah! Where?!**

**Me: Man, I was kidding.**

**Sasuke glares: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

**Me: You shouldn't say the disclaimer, you're not even in the story!**

**Sasuke: Oh well. **

* * *

Emiko smiled to herself. _I got a real friend. And I don't even have to talk that much. I feel happier than I have in the longest time. Heh, the Nigenasai has a friend. I will tell her about me eventually; there is no one else I'm friends with. I wonder why Ino and Sakura got so mixed up over a boy though. Uchiha Sasuke. I wonder why that name is familiar. _Emiko looked out the window; the moon was shining and gleaming. She always liked watching the moon, or being in its light. It made her feel at peace with everything. The orange-haired girl closed her eyes.

** Emiko looked down the hill to her house. Everything was on fire. Tears ran down her cheeks as she screamed. The green backpack on her shoulders was dirty from all the soot flying in the wind. The four year old turned and ran. She ran until blackness found her.**

The girl woke to the sunlight streaming across the hospital bed. She turned her head to find Sakura staring out the window. Sakura looked miserable, like she wasn't in control of something, like she was losing something precious. The pink-haired girl bit her lip to stop from crying. Sakura laughed dryly to herself. She was trying not to cry over _him_.

"Naruto's leaving today." Sakura turned around. Emiko was sitting up, looking outside the window. In the distance you could see a bright yellow and orange figure walking with a larger red and white figure toward the gates of Konoha. Sakura turned around and shook her head. She wasn't going to cry over this. She wasn't going to cry anymore. Emiko debated over what she should do. She was good friends with Sakura now, but that didn't mean she knew how to be a friend. What was she supposed to do? Sakura sat down on the hospital bed. She was going to miss Naruto-kun.

"We're going to your apartment, right?" Sakura asked. Her friend nodded. The apartment building was the same as Sakura's apartment building. Tsunade-sama probably put them in rooms near each other. It had been a week since Emiko had gotten out of the hospital, and now she could go home. Emiko reached into her pocket for a key to her new home, 9E. She pushed lightly on the door. Sakura squealed. The apartment had a TV, kitchen with all utensils, a bed room, and a bathroom. Emiko gave a small smile. _Home. This was it._

"Emiko-chan, we're going to need to buy some stuff," Sakura beamed at the door connecting to 7E, which was occupied by a certain pink-haired medic. Emiko nodded.

"Three hours later, some cash from Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-sama, and yours truly. And we got groceries! Decorations!" Sakura grinned and threw some pillows.

"Aa, Want some lunch?" the orange-headed girl cracked a couple of eggs in a frying pan. Sakura busily cleaned up the apartment, and put up all the décor while her friend made them lunch. The apartment was now black, green and white. Sakura sat down at a stool and dug into her lunch.

"Sakura, I will pay you back. I just need to go on missions to get money." Emiko put the rest of the groceries in the fridge and cupboards. Sakura shook her head.

"Don't pay me back. But we should start training and going on missions again. I'm pretty sure you're a Chuunin. You seem like one anyway," Sakura shrugged. The nin agreed silently.

"We can go talk to Tsunade-sama tomorrow. The only problem is they will be really easy missions now that it's only two of us and Kakashi-sensei is out on his own missions. We'll probably get a C-rank at best." Sakura said dully. There wasn't much to do now days. At least she had Emiko. The girl didn't speak much, and she wasn't one for jokes, but she was a good friend all the same. With Emiko's help, Sakura really believed that her heart was mending. She wasn't thinking about Sasuke as often as she used to.

The orange-haired girl looked out the window. She had been training while Sakura was at the hospital. And she was going to train after Sakura would go today. Emiko knew she couldn't train by herself much longer: she needed an actual opponent, and a tough one at that. Now she was starting to recover memories, not enough to help her find her home. It was probably muscle memory, and she even remembered a special jutsu that was more powerful than anything she could really do.

As Emiko thought this through, Sakura waved and left to go to the hospital. Her grey eyes watched as Sakura left. The orange-haired girl climbed on to the rooftop and walked to the forest to train. The sunlight sifted through the trees, and birds chirped sweetly, but Emiko's back stiffened. _Of course, there are people here._ The girl stopped hopping from tree to tree as she approached the clearing. She smirked and narrowed her eyes. Three kids, Genin, most likely. There was a strange boy with a green jumpsuit and huge eyebrows. Next to the jumpsuit-clad boy, a guy with strange pale eyes and long hair stood stock still, with a girl nearby with buns on top of her head. The group of ninjas was very still. Emiko shrugged and grinned, they know she was there then. She jumped down.

"Who are you and why are you spying on us?" The one with pale eyes demanded. Emiko kept her face straight, she yawned and stretched.

"Why don't you tell me you and your comrades' names first? Then I'll tell you mine."

The group of three seemed to boil at this remark. The green jumpsuit boy leapt ahead and waved his arms around.

"Very well! I shall tell you our names! We are shinobi of the fair Konoha. I am the handsome green devil Rock Lee! This is one of the best rookies this year, Hyuuga Neji! And finally, this is the brave and beautiful Tenten! Now tell us your name!" Tenten shook her head in embarrassment.

"Hn, I'm Emiko. I am going to train here." The girl folded her arms over her chest and looked at three in challenge. Emiko looked at the pale-eyed boy, Neji. His veins seemed to stick out of his eyes as he looked closely at her. _Must be a bloodline limit, those eyes can see more than what a regular person can see. I remember Sakura telling me something about a clan who had a power as such. Neji must have been the one that saw me and tipped everyone off. I want to fight them; I need to prove my strength to myself. _

"This training ground is big enough for all of us," Neji replied coldly. Emiko frowned and shook her head. _No fighting then, that sucks. _The orange-haired shinobi walked away, leaving Lee, Tenten and Neji looking baffled. She walked away down the trail this time. She had not gotten very far.

The girl suddenly looked up, reflexes kicking in before she had a chance to think. A man was racing toward her with a kunai in hand.

_ CRACK-K-K_.

Emiko looked at what had she had just done. One hand was placed on the ninja's arm, where the elbow was; the other hand had twisted and pushed the same arm until his palm could touch his upper arm. She had bent his arm the opposite way. The man screamed. Emiko's heart started to thud painfully. She dropped his arm and stepped away from his writhing body. She had done permanent damage to that guy. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Lee, Neji and Tenten run over to where she was. They stared at her in shock. Emiko turned and ran.


	5. Chapter 5: The Jutsu

**Another chapter, so someone please review. I need criticism! So I'll let Kakashi say the disclaimer. **

**Kakashi looks up from book: Hm? **

**Me: Please say the disclaimer. **

**Kakashi: But… but… it's the climax! I only got a chapter left!**

**Me: Just say it, and then you can keep reading! You've already read it before anyways.**

**Kakashi: Oh fine, fine. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. I'm reading now, bye! **

* * *

Night came. Emiko sat on the roof, staring at the moon and sky. She wasn't going to sleep tonight, not that she could. She held out her hands, grey eyes scanning them and trying to see if there was any hint of the damage they could inflict. She flexed her fingers. The girl sighed and bit her lip. She felt strange, excited but mortified at what she had done earlier that day. Emiko hugged her knees.

She hadn't even thought of what she was doing, it was like an animal instinct. She must have lived on that instinct all her life. Why was that guy trying to kill her anyway? She didn't even see where he was from or wanted from her, he was probably some random lunatic. The girl grimaced. She wouldn't ever let anyone know it, hell; she wouldn't even say it out loud, but… Emiko sighed again. She liked it. She liked her power and how easily she broke the guy's arm. She had felt homicidal before, but she hadn't thought that she could actually commit to doing that much damage. Then Emiko smirked a little. She could have easily killed that guy, it was a shame she hadn't.

Sakura was beside herself with worry. People were starting to act strange around her, and it seemed wherever she went whispers followed. It wasn't just the villagers, since her friends, even Ino, seemed distant. Her newest friend, Emiko, was being different too. The ginger-haired girl had always been quiet, but now it was a different quiet. A distant quiet, and when in public Emiko was completely silent and looked vaguely menacing. Even on their kiddy missions, everything seemed tense and weird. What was really getting Sakura pissed off was that no one would tell her what was going on. That's why when Kakashi finally returned from his mission, Sakura was more than just a little relieved. Hopefully Tsunade-sama would be nice enough to give them a mission outside of Konoha.

--else where--

Tsunade skidded across the floor and breathed heavily. This girl was monstrous. Even with deafened blows, this unknown shinobi was tiring out the Sanin, and creating a good deal of damage. Tsunade had asked the orange-haired girl to fight her, just to see her skill or what she could do. Tsunade had asked to speak with her earlier that day.

"_Well, you're certainly making an impression on the people of Konoha: they are terrified of you." Tsunade-sama remarked coolly. Emiko looked calmly back at the Hokage. Tsunade leaned over and interlaced her fingers. _

"_It's no secret that the man who unfortunately ran into you was a criminal, and in the end, no secret that you were the one who crushed his arm. He will not be able to use that arm anymore now that it had to be surgically removed from the rest of his body. I could usually fix something broken, but the way you broke his arm tore all the tendons, muscles, and bone. At this point, I have many choices for you, none of them I find satisfactory. So I want Kakashi to train you, but first of all, I want to see your skills. I don't feel comfortable fighting you in public, so the basement of this building shall do. That also means that we can not try to kill each other or damage the building. Do you understand?" _

_ "Hai, Hokage-sama," Emiko nodded. _

The Hokage couldn't use her strength as much as she could have; after all building was old and could break easily. Still she was not going very easy on the girl, and now Tsunade was the one exhausted. The Hokage looked at the girl curiously. The girl had good, not amazing, chakra control, but she also could remain flexible and fight. She didn't have monstrous strength, no, that was definitely not what made her a powerful ninja. No, it was speed: speed, reflexes, and brute instinct. Of course, those three traits were very similar with each other, but to have an extreme command of them made Emiko's skill rival with Tsunade's physical strength.

Tsunade focused on the strange movements the girl was making. Emiko stepped back and breathed deeply. _Relax now. Stay calm and loose. This is the jutsu. This is it. Breathe. This is it._ Emiko interlaced her fingers into the standard seal and closed her eyes. Tsunade widened her eyes. _What is this girl doing?_ The Nigenasai relaxed and let chakra flow smoothly throughout her body. More chakra seemed to flow in, and power and speed increased. Her unusually sharp reflexes became even more concentrated and she could feel Hokage-sama thinking of a next move. Emiko felt the power and chakra build inside her body. The orange-haired girl opened her eyes. She ran at the Hokage and punched her in the stomach before she even thought it through. _Thinking doesn't help me fight; instinct is the best commander of my body. Once I let go of my thoughts, I can let my body fully relax and do whatever my instinct tells me to do._ Tsunade threw Emiko back far harder than she meant: the girl flew over 14 feet and skidded to the ground. Tsunade coughed up blood.

"That is enough now."

Tsunade-sama wiped the blood from her mouth and dusted off her clothing. The orange-haired shinobi nodded her consent and followed the Hokage back to her office. Tsunade-sama quickly healed both their wounds and watched the orange-haired girl leave. _I didn't expect that level of strength, especially the power she had after making that seal. How did she possibly become stronger after that? She became stronger, faster, and smarter after making just that one seal. _Tsunade-sama sighed and turned to her mound of paperwork. The pile had seemed to grow even after the short amount of time..

Emiko felt the chakra lessening its flow and how her thoughts seemed to reach her again. She gently stretched her muscles and began to think normally again. _So that's what it does. I remember that that move was a powerful and useful one. It takes up a lot of chakra though, so no more fighting for today. But I landed a heavy blow on her, a legendary Sanin. That's good. I am glad she's stronger than I am though, I would have hated to be able to kill her. Knowing the jutsu and how my body controls my mind, I probably would have. I wouldn't want to be a legend for killing a Hokage. Naruto and Sakura would probably hate me for the rest of his life. Naruto's dream is to be Hokage and Sakura is Tsunade-sama's student._ Emiko walked to her apartment slowly, enjoying the last rays of sunlight on her skin. _I don't feel so vile now. Granted I still hate myself, but not as despicable as I had felt after I crushed the man's arm. I felt so out of control just then, but Tsunade-sama would have said something if there was something wrong with me. At least he wasn't in any way an innocent human…. I don't really care actually._ Emiko cracked her knuckles and found a note on her door.

** Emiko- As soon as you get home, go to my place for dinner. There's some one you should meet. –Sakura**

The girl hummed to herself. She wasn't sure if she was irritated by this or found it vaguely comforting. She shrugged and knocked on Sakura's door. The pink-haired medic smiled at her friend and let her in. The same grey-haired ninja she saw briefly with Naruto was sitting at the kitchen counter. He smiled and waved.

"Yo!"

Emiko visibly raised her eyebrows in surprise. She nodded a 'hello'.

"This is Kakashi-sensei! You saw him in the hospital perhaps, but he's now your sensei! He's known as the 'Copy Ninja'! So now he's here we can go on cooler missions!" Sakura practically squealed. Said person nodded.

"Aa, I remember. You are going to train us both then?" Emiko asked. She didn't feel like rescuing any more cats or escorting old people around all day. She needed something that required aggression and energy.

"I think Tsunade-sama has a mission in mind actually," the one-eyed shinobi smiled cheerfully, "She knows you two well now, and she believes that the mission shall be time consuming but worth the effort. Though I'm not allowed to say what the mission is, as of yet." Kakashi reassured them. Sakura, however, stamped her foot.

"That's not fair Kakashi-sensei! You don't hint about stuff to people just to tease them! … I mean… for Emiko's sake!"

"I don't mind Sakura." Emiko said with a half-smile. Sakura could be so obvious sometimes. The Copy Nin chuckled. Sakura's face turned pink and she busied herself with bringing out the takeout dinner, grumbling stubbornly.

Dinner was cheerful and pleasant. Everyone chatted and talked lightly, laughing a memories and jokes. Sakura teased her sensei about his favorite past time; reading a naughty book. He rolled his eye and changed the subject. The grey-haired sensei told the girls that they should see Tsunade-sama about the mission in a week, and before then they should all train. Sakura nodded, cleaning her plate. She felt like she had improved already since the training with Tsunade-sama felt as dangerous as taking on Orochimaru single-handed. Sometimes the pink-haired kunoichi wondered if the Hokage was trying to kill her.

"I need to go to the bathroom!" Sakura shrieked as she felt her stomach suddenly gurgle. The two people at the table raised their eyebrows at the medic as she ran.

"…..Kakashi-sensei?" Emiko mumbled. The silver-haired shinobi looked up. His visible eye had a curious gleam.

"Can I train with you without Sakura?" Emiko felt hesitant saying this out loud. She had decided a little while ago that unless it was absolutely necessary, her only friend was never going to see what she could do. Emiko hated the idea of Sakura being scared of her, so she decided to practice with someone more powerful than her.

"Why is that?"

"I don't want her to be scared of me. I hurt a shinobi and the damage was irreversible."

"Aa, I understand. I will train with you without Sakura-chan there, but just so you know, you will not be able to hide your skills for long."

Emiko furrowed her eyebrows. He sounded like he knew about her fighting and what she could do. She hadn't expected him to so readily agree. Kakashi nodded and crinkled his eye.

"Tsunade-sama did tell me of your skills and their impressive effect. She also told me to give you this, so people will be less frightened of you." Kakashi held out a hitai ate with the Konoha leaf on it. Emiko took it gently. The forehead protector seemed like a badge of acceptance. She gave a small smile and tied it around her leg.

"Arigato, Kakashi-sensei."


	6. Chapter 6: The Mission

**So this is another chapter. I hate to sound like a broken record but I need writing advice! So review please. Anyway, we got another long chapter. So step on up Tsunade-sama! Say the disclaimer.**

**Tsunade: Alright TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. If she did she would probably make sure I did my work more often…**

**Me: Shizune is pretty annoyed at you a lot, I would guess.**

**Tsunade: You have no idea. **

* * *

"I might need this." Kakashi-sensei said more to himself than to the orange-haired girl in front of him. He tugged his forehead protector off his other eye, exposing a Sharingan. Emiko blinked. _Another bloodline limit. I'll probably have to do that jutsu again. It doesn't matter, I've been building up energy and anger for this since Tsunade-sama and I fought. Breathe and stay loose. _Emiko nodded to her sensei and made a strange stance. Her feet were placed far apart and her arms and unclenched hands were facing up, almost like a boxer. _What is she doing?_ Kakashi-sensei moved slowly to the side, the girl followed his movement, they were circling each other. The moonlight shimmered on the open area. Emiko's hand twitched. _My body is almost acting by itself. I have an urge to let that instinct take me over, I might as well. Kakashi-sensei seems good enough to beat me. He has a Sharingan after all. Relax. Breathe. Let go._ Kakashi watched as the Nigenasai made the standard seal. He remembered what Tsunade-sama had said. The girl was going to be even better than she was normally. He might as well test out how good this jutsu is. Emiko breathed, her senses were spiking, and the air seemed to have an electrical current. She saw Kakashi running toward her in her mind's eye. Kakashi ran toward her, kunai in hand. Emiko opened her eyes.

Emiko slid away from the weapon and grabbed Kakashi-sensei's arm. The older nin used his other arm to punch her elbow to let him free. He wasn't surprised she had caught him, even if he was fast. But he wasn't prepared for her to slide herself away and punch him in the shoulder as quickly as she did. Tsunade-sama was correct; she didn't have strength but she was faster than Rock Lee, and had reflexes to back that up. The Copy Nin caught her leg as she tried to kick his chest, but he grabbed her foot, and twisted her leg. Emiko flew backwards and stood with Kakashi-sensei holding her foot for support. The girl then tried to kick his neck. He safely blocked by dropping her foot. Emiko leapt away, panting slightly. She pulled out her kunai. Mist seemed to drift in, causing the ground to become hazy and moist. _Do something. Go!_ Emiko made a flurry of hand seals and jumped onto a tree branch.

"Shuriken, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." The Nigenasai threw her kunai. Suddenly hundreds seemed to be racing toward the Jonin.

"Nani?" Kakashi-sensei used his Sharingan to dodge and deflect the kunai. He swung around to dodge the last kunai, when he felt a sharp pain. Emiko kicked his jaw, throwing him to the ground. Kakashi threw his own kunai at her, as she used body substitution jutsu. Kakashi-sensei leapt up drawing out another weapon. The female shinobi lunged toward him and tried to knee his skull. He caught it and Emiko vanished and punched his face when she appeared in front of him. Kakashi-sensei grabbed her arm and thrust her backwards. The girl punched his elbow and jumped out of reach.

She panted, and tried to catch her breath. Kakashi put his kunai away and gestured for her to do the same.

"That will be enough. Hokage-sama is indeed correct, you're fast, have brute instinct, and reflexes. What I noticed from this fight and the fight you had with Tsunade-"

Emiko's eyes widened, and her eyebrows hit her hairline._ How did-?_

"Yes I was there when I saw you two fight, it's easy to spy if you can climb walls. So what I noticed first of all: you held back. It's because either I'm your teacher or you weren't actually trying to kill me. I also believe that the first jutsu you performed was your strongest. When you fought Tsunade-sama you had performed it last. That move wastes massive amounts of chakra. As well, your strength and chakra control could be improved. Strength is your weakness. You become a better fighter when you let your body take over your mind, and you have instincts to not only defeat, but kill your opponent." Kakashi-sensei stated calmly.

She tensed and clenched her jaw. _How does he know this? It's like he has an essay written about my fighting. Just breathe for now. Relax, tensing up is a hindrance. I automatically tense up, and that's why my mantra is so important to me. Tjhough next time I will defeat who ever I will fight against. _Emiko nodded. She needed to train; she wasn't nearly as good as she should be.

The moonlight cast a milky glow on her skin. She stayed up again tonight; she had a tendency to do that at least once a week. It was her time to think and not really try to do anything. She was relaxed at night. Emiko looked up to the moon and stars, seeing if there were any answers in the sky. _Why am I alive? What is my effect on the world? Another killing machine perhaps, another misfortune that the world has to bear with, that's what I must be. I don't see any point for my existance. I am neither useful nor important, and I seem to cause death and difficulties on everyone around me. Why try getting stronger? Why stay here, in this confined space? Death is a certain end; no one will ever evade it. Why put so much defiance into one destiny that is certain for all? Why live at all for that matter? _

_ No I am not needed. No one is needed. We are all merely playthings, and everyone is a puppet master, playing everyone against each other. It does not matter, nothing matters. _

The girl sighed: she needed to find something to do with her life. Finding where she came from by just waiting for memories was irritating and useless. She sighed again. Tsunade-sama was going to announce the mission soon, and that seemed to be more interesting than just waiting for something to happen. The only question was what the mission would possibly entail.

A strange noise drew the orange-haired girl from her thoughts. The sound was a needle-thin cry. Emiko furrowed her eyebrows. There was a lump on the roof a little ways away. The nin stood up and warily walked over to the strange mass. It was a tiny pile of fur. The girl gingerly picked up the small animal with both hands. It was a white cat. It wasn't more than a couple of months old, and looked like it had gotten in a nasty fight. The kitten mewed pathetically. The girl brushed the area she thought was its head. Two large grey eyes appeared and another tiny cry. There was a black mark on its forehead. Emiko sighed and cradling the tiny cat to her chest, she went home.

"So I called you here because I have finally decided what to do with you. I can't let Konoha's safety be at risk because I'm housing a missing-nin from who-knows-where. So I'm taking advantage of this assignment. I want you three to go to Suna. Emiko, while you are there, you should see if you remember ever being or living there. Sakura, the medical equipment and education is quite frankly, terrible. The people of Suna need someone who knows about healing and can teach other medics. Kakashi will take you there, and then come back here. I want you both to stay there for a while, and I'll have figured out the living arrangements by tomorrow which is the day you're leaving. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Sakura, Emiko, and Kakashi-sensei were ushered out the door.

"So that's what it was!" Sakura practically yelled. The grey-haired nin smiled apologetically and scratched the back of his head. Emiko walked a little bit behind them, searching every inch of her brain for a memory of Suna. As always, her brain did not oblige. _Suna… Suna… I have a strange feeling about this, but I don't recall any place called "Suna". I suppose it's sunny there. Well this is the something I was hoping for I guess. _Sakura continued to yell at Kakashi for holding back information while they walked to a restaurant.

"Ne, Emiko?" the orange-haired girl blinked at her friend's question.

"Nani?" Sakura smiled, and repeated what she said before.

"Since we're going to Suna, I should tell you some stuff that happened this year. Suna is home to a lot of… odd people. Well, you weren't here back then, but there were some bad events during the Chuunin exams. Well more people died then usual. During the exam there were some people that caused those problems. One, being Orochimaru," Sakura paused, her heartbeat hitching for a second._ That bastard. Everything that's happened because of him._ Emiko felt a small shiver run down her spine, just the man's name scared her.

"Orochimaru and his Sound nins. They tried to invade Konoha, and the Third died trying to destroy Orochimaru. It failed, obviously. But there were too many consequences." Sakura's lip quivered. She looked away, Emiko closed her eyes. _That's where Sasuke's betrayal comes in. She still cares about him. _Sakura swallowed her tears; it was pointless to keep crying.

"There were also the Siblings of the Sand," Kakashi-sensei added quickly. Emiko opened her eyes. _The Sand Siblings? _Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. It felt like there was a memory, and she couldn't receive it.

"Aa," Sakura nodded gravely. Emiko tried to breathe and relax. Her shoulders knotted and tensed despite all her effort to calm down.

"Sabaku no Gaara. He different now, but the guy still scares me," Sakura nodded her head earnestly. Emiko clenched her jaws. _Sand siblings. _It was on the tip of her tongue, yet she still didn't understand. It was maddening.

"Who's he?" the orange-haired girl asked.

"They called him the ultimate weapon of the Sand village, and they are right in that sense," Kakashi replied simply.

"You remember Rock Lee?" Sakura asked Emiko. The orange-haired nin had to swallow her hollow laugh before Sakura noticed. She did remember: it was after she had crushed the stranger's arm, and when Lee saw her again his skin became a sickly green color. It didn't help that Emiko was in a menacing mood. She nodded her head anyways.

"Well for the Chuunin exams, Lee-san and Gaara were supposed to fight each other. Gaara, he's one of the Sand Siblings, can control sand because he has a demon, Shukaku, inside him. He has an armor of sand that completely covers his body, and sand automatically protects him no matter what. Anyways, Lee had almost defeated Gaara by opening some of his chakra gates, which is beyond powerful. When it looked like Gaara was really done for, his sand came up and crushed Lee's arm and leg. The damage was practically irreversible, but Lee-san is okay now." Sakura looked somber, as if she pitied Lee's injuries.

_ So Gaara is a demon then? And he doesn't hold back when it comes to fighting people. He likes to hurt people, like I do. He's in Suna and he's one of those Sand Siblings. I don't know if I should be anxious or excited. _

"I should go home. Good night," Emiko nodded to her team and walked home. The girl jumped to the tops of the buildings and walked from rooftop to rooftop. She was not really thinking, her mind was just floating as she took in the night air. She saw the same cat that she had Sakura fix up on the rooftop padding toward her. The orange-haired girl stopped to pet the cat's head, and the kitten purred, beside itself with joy. She had a ghost of a smile on her face. In the light of the moon, everything seemed to glow, especially the cat's snow white fur. Emiko knelt down on the roof, and let the cat climb to her shoulder. _Tsuki, that's what I'll call this cat. It's a good name, especially for the color of his fur and the mark on his forehead._ Emiko put the cat down and the animal bounded after a mouse. The girl walked away.


	7. Chapter 7: The Surprise

**Wow! Thanks so much to all the people who reviewed and favorited! It makes me happy. Anyways, I fix up some of the spelling. And here's another chapter!**

**So who today? Temari, go for it!**

**Temari: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. It's a good thing too…**

**Me: Gotta agree with you there. But if I did own Naruto, you and Shikamaru would definitely be together!**

**Temari: WHAT?! We're… just friends?! Hehe…. **

**Me: You're blushing.**

**Temari: Am not!**

* * *

Sakura knocked persistently at her friend's door. _Come on, Emiko! We got to get ready to go! Chikusho. _Sakura knocked on the door harder, making a small dent in the process. _Kuso!__I really hope she doesn't see that._ Emiko finally opened the door, rubbing her eyes.

"Nani, Sakura-chan?" the girl yawned. Sakura ran inside the room and threw all of Emiko's clothes into a bag, as she yelled.

"We need to go to Tsunade-sama and leave for the mission, that's what! I didn't pin you down as a Naruto! Go shower and change!" Emiko shrugged and sighed while trudging to the shower. Sakura muttered irritably under her breath while throwing more clothes in Emiko's bag.

The orange-haired shinobi appeared out of the bathroom after five minutes. She looked as she normally did, albeit the shadows under her eyes. Sakura cringed; Emiko's eyes reminded her of Gaara's too often. They grabbed their bags and met with Kakashi-sensei on their way to Tsunade-sama's office.

"Nice to see you guys up so early," the Hokage's eyes were bright and there was drool on her cheek. Sakura sighed dejectedly.

"So what are we going to do sleeping-wise in Suna?" Sakura asked quickly. She was praying it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be. Suna was a foreign country, and considering the people who hailed from there, most likely very different from Konoha.

"Well I think that you both will be staying with a family. They have a house large enough for two more people, and they kindly offered to let you live there. Please be kind and represent Konoha well." Tsunade-sama almost pleaded. Everyone nodded and turned to leave.

"Sakura? Can I speak to you alone for a second?" Godaime Hokage smiled a little. Sakura nodded and stood up straight for her teacher. Sakura would never admit it, but she loved the Sanin like a mother, she would do anything for her.

"Well there are certain things that I shouldn't be telling you, but I will anyway. First of all, I have heard news of a new Kazekage being chosen soon. Secondly, I know you have become good friends with Emiko, do your best to stay on good terms with her. I have a feeling this girl is important, and I want you to know as much about her as you can," Tsunade-sama paused.

"Who is the person trying to become Kazekage?"

"Sabaku no Gaara," Tsunade-sama paused; she tried not to let her worry for her student show, "Sakura, work hard and study. Be safe."

Sakura smiled and tried not to cry. She walked to the Hokage's desk and hugged Tsunade-sama. The pink-haired medic smiled before she left the Hokage's office. Tsunade-sama smiled. She felt a very close bond with her student, and she knew that Sakura would never go down without a fight.

_ GAARA?! Sabaku no Gaara?! Kazekage? Why him!? And the guy wanted to be Kazekage? _Sakura couldn't grasp this concept. Gaara had a short temper, and he liked to kill people. How could someone like that become the protector of a village? Sakura frowned and walked along with her team.

They approached the gates of Konoha. Her heart thumped against her ribcage. She walked past the bench that Sasuke left her on. _Everyone has been leaving. Sasuke… Naruto… Now I will leave to. I'll come back though. I'll come back for Naruto and Sasuke. I will make sure that I will, even if no one else does. I will be waiting for them. _Sakura looked at her new friend. She felt strangely comforted by the steely gaze she had.

The pink-haired medic paused to look back at Konoha. She felt tears in her eyes. _Goodbye Konoha. I will come back to you. I swear. _

Emiko kept walking forward, but she couldn't shake the ominous feeling in her heart. She shouldn't leave. Not again. Sakura was obviously having a harder time then she was. The orange-haired girl shrugged it off; she really didn't care about anyone at the moment. She kept trudging forward, something was going to happen, something was about to begin and she knew it. Emiko would just have to welcome whatever came her way.

"Please Kakashi-sensei, let's rest. I can't take this anymore," Sakura panted and stopped dragging her feet over the desert sand. It was a long way to Suna yet, but the desert was slowly driving Sakura insane. _If I see another mirage, I swear someone is gonna pay! _Emiko kept her head up and kept walking, as Kakashi walked calmly and read his book. He threw a canteen to Sakura without turning around. Sakura gratefully drank the now warm water. She almost spat the water out. Emiko looked back at her friend, who was having a hard time swallowing the warm liquid. The orange-haired girl sighed.

"I'm tired too. Let's stop," the girl said emotionlessly. Sakura grinned and ran all the way to the nearest source of shade. It turned out to be a huge boulder. The two others walked over to it and plunked down in the shade. The shinobi were too hot to talk and took long sips of water.

Emiko dug her hands in the sand, enjoying the grainy feeling through her fingers. Kakashi-sensei looked up vaguely.

"We should be close by now," he thought for a second, "I'll fill our canteens." Kakashi-sensei got up and disappeared with all their bottles. Sakura fanned herself and tried to cool down. Emiko's back stiffened.

"Well who do we have here?" Emiko smirked, and looked up at the man who addressed her. It was a shinobi with a Rain Village hitai-ate. He held a kunai to the orange-haired girl's throat. Sakura yelped and tensed when a kunai was held to her neck. Emiko smirked at both of the ninjas: she didn't have much choice in fighting now. She inwardly sighed, contemptuous of her choice.

She grabbed his arm with one hand and pushed her shoulder into the Rain ninja's armpit then pushed the hand holding the kunai off her neck. _This is going to be too easy._ The girl then punched his neck causing it to break. Kakashi-sensei had been teaching her where to hit on an enemy's body to have the most effect. Sakura stared wide-eyed at her friend. The man holding Sakura quickly baulked from the approaching girl. He looked terrified.

"Your death will be painful," Emiko said in a cold voice. The stupid Genins had no idea what they would have gotten into when they tried to attack her. The Rain ninja stopped walking. The Nigenasai hit the man's nose with the heel of her hand. _That could have killed him, but I'm just going to make sure. _The ninja had fallen to the ground. She sat on him and quickly broke his neck. Sakura stared at her friend; she had thought she was powerful, but not strong enough to kill two shinobi in three minutes. Emiko got off the body and gave the dead man one final disparaging look. _Those idiots shouldn't have tried to fight me. They were Genins, and cowards no less. _

Kakashi-sensei suddenly appeared again, waving cheerfully as though he had not noticed the two bodies next to his students. He tossed them their canteens and looked bemused by the lack of blood on the bodies. Emiko liked that her teacher remained jaded about everything.

"These ninja were from the Hidden Rain Village, and apparently weren't very skilled," Kakashi-sensei said as he checked the Rain ninja's pockets. There was nothing really of value, but Kakashi took the forehead protector bearing the Rain Village sign. Sakura felt somewhat mortified. Her friend had just killed two ninjas and Kakashi-sensei wasn't acting at all surprised and she was just… confused. It didn't really matter because soon enough Emiko and Kakashi-sensei started walking toward their destination again. Sakura walked glumly behind them.

It was taking longer than they had expected to get to Suna. The desert storms were a frequent hassle, but they were still on time. The three shinobi were more than relieved when they saw the opening in the cliff that was the gate to Sunagakure. Sakura kissed the ground in relief, and immediately spat out the sand. Emiko felt like a heavy weight slipped off her shoulders. They walked silently through the gates. The Sand shinobi watched them warily from their elevated position.

"We are supposed to meet the host family here," Kakashi-sensei said quietly. They were at the outdoor market place, each of them looked around for a family of people. There weren't too many citizens wandering around since it was one of the hottest points of the day. Emiko's back stiffened suddenly.

"Ah!" Emiko yelled. Two arms crushed her middle, accompanied with a high-pitched squealing. She was terrified and felt under-attack. _What is going on?!_


	8. Chapter 8: The Family

**Holy sheezy. I got a lot of pages down, teehee! Anyways enjoy the chapter, you get a flashback this time! Lucky you! Alright so let's drag in Shikamaru, god that's really ironic, he says "what a drag" a lot and yeah…. Okay done being random! By the way, these little intro things can help give you a sneak peek at the next chapter. The characters who say the disclaimer usually end up showing up in the next chapter some way or another.**

**Me: Hey Shikamaru!**

**Shikamaru: You're not going to be troublesome like last time are you?**

**Me: Depends on whether or not you are going to say the disclaimer.**

**Shikamaru: But it's such a drag, I don't want to.**

**Me: Kami! I knew you would say that! I'm going to threaten you with your mom if you don't say it! **

**Shikamaru: That's not fair, she always yells at me. **

**Me: Then SAY IT.**

**Shikamaru: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto… happy now?**

**Me: Pretty much, yeah!**

**Shikamaru: Women are so troublesome…**

* * *

"Ah!" Emiko yelled. Two arms embraced her middle, accompanied with a high-pitched screaming. Emiko was terrified, what the hell was going on?

"I can't believe it! I thought you would never come back!" a yellow-haired kunoichi stood in front of Emiko. Said person was completely baffled, she didn't know this girl. Realizing Emiko's confusion, the blonde's smile faded.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the older girl said sadly. Emiko shook her head faintly. How could she remember her?

"I'm Temari. When you lived here, we were best friends." The blonde girl hugged Emiko again. Who in turn, blinked, Temari stepped back.

"I think… I remember you. Temari?" Emiko said slowly. The blonde ninja smiled widely, Emiko grinned too. Sakura was shocked by this exchange. _Emiko was best friends with Gaara's sister? Temari? Emiko? When? How?_ Emiko grinned at her best friend. It had been a long time since she had seen her, but how long? She didn't remember specific times with her friend, but she did remember being around her and almost living at their house. _Wait. I did live at their house. I lived there a little more than a year. _

"I knew you would come back Emiko! You promised that you would when you left, and I was worried about you all this time!" Temari closed her eyes happily. Emiko shyly smiled. So many memories of her best friend, and she knew they were there, but she couldn't reach them yet. The orange-haired girl blinked and remembered that Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were there.

"Temari-chan, this is Haruno Sakura, a medic from Konoha, and this is Kakashi-sensei," Emiko gestured to her friends. Temari waved, she remembered the pink-haired girl from the Chuunin Exams and more recently the rescue mission with Gaara's student.

"Hey! You know I volunteered our house to a couple of shinobi from Konoha, I saw the name Emiko there and I hoped it was my best friend, and I was right. So you can live at home with us again!" Temari beamed. Sakura was not so excited, _Gaara's home? Live with Sabaku no Gaara? And Emiko has lived with them? Is she from Suna then? This is so confusing. I hate this mission already. And now I wish Emiko was better friends with me, I mean the next few months are going to be a whole lot of being left out._

Emiko nodded. Kakashi-sensei gently tapped both of the girls on their shoulder. He crinkled his eye.

"Time for me to go. Have fun, both of you!" the Copy nin smiled, and hugged Sakura. Sakura held onto him like she was being abandoned, Kakashi was her safety blanket, despite how like a father he was. He gently let her down and nodded farewell. Then he disappeared. Sakura felt doomed.

"Come on guys! Let's go home; I'm sure it's big enough for all of us. If not, Emiko can bunk with me and Sakura, you can be with Kankuro!" Temari laughed her head off. Sakura shivered, Temari didn't blame her; her brother could be such a creep sometimes. Emiko smiled a tiny bit, it was true; she could remember Kankuro chasing people with puppets even then and fighting with Temari non-stop. They approached an apartment building.

"Home, sweet, home," Temari smiled and opened the door. The girls walked in the apartment, which was really a house. In the living room there was a large couch with an older boy playing with a puppet. He had messy brown hair and wasn't wearing any make-up, yet he still wore his classic cat-eared outfit. He looked up to the new comers and grinned.

"Hey grey eyes!" Emiko smirked, she remembered the nickname now. Grey eyes, spitfire, orange-head, those were all of Kankuro's nicknames for her.

"Hey pajama man," Emiko retorted with a challenge. Temari grinned to her fullest, her best friend really was starting to remember everything. Sakura laughed, it was hard not to. Someone needed to call Kankuro "pajama man". Kankuro joined in.

"It's nice to have you back in Suna, I missed my little spitfire sister." Kankuro grinned again. Temari walked to the hallway mumbling excitedly. Kankuro patted the couch. Sakura sat down next to Kankuro and Emiko sat on the floor. It felt right to sit there: she could only guess that's what she did when she lived here. Kankuro said hi to Sakura, who was getting used to the Sand siblings already. Surprising it was when she found out Emiko had lived with them, but she was getting over the shock. Sakura told herself many times to be more open minded, now was the chance. Sakura and Kankuro started to talk, Kankuro remembered her from the Chuunin Exams and they talked about Naruto and everything that had happened during those weeks.

Temari walked back from the hallway with a red-headed boy in tow. Emiko looked at them, and she remembered too much too fast.

_**The little boy was swinging by himself. His hair was as red as blood and he clutched a teddy bear. **_

"_**Temari-chan?" the orange-haired girl suddenly asked. Temari looked nervously at the red-headed boy. **_

"_**Nani, Emiko-chan?" Emiko looked at the boy on the swing, he looked like she felt: lonely and unhappy. He was too far away to see them looking at him. They were on the opposite side of the park. The red kanji stood out vibrantly from his forehead. **_

"_**Gaara's your brother," it was a statement, not a question. Temari flinched at his name but nodded anyways. She was scared of her little brother, he killed without thinking. First her mother, now her uncle, but she pitied her brother all the same. He was cursed with Shukaku, it wasn't his fault. Yet all the monstrosities her brother had committed, he terrified her. **_

"_**Are you still going to live with us, Emiko-chan?" Temari said hopefully. She couldn't take the silence with just Kankuro and her psychopathic brother. Her father couldn't handle being around him anymore, and so he decided to live in the Kazekage Tower, and let his children handle the Jinchuuriki. **_

_**Emiko nodded. She needed a home, and living with her friend was better than by herself. She wanted to be friends with this boy too. She needed to find another who liked to kill to survive, and hate as much as she did**_

Emiko remembered all the failed assassinations and deaths involving the read-head, _Gaara._ There was so much blood, and each time she watched as he murdered each assassin. This was the same boy, only a couple of years older. His eyes weren't the same; they had lost their murderous glint and pure hatred of all human kind. Emiko was glad, a sad sort of glad though. There was still cold and distance in Gaara's eyes, but not as fierce as before. She had always liked his eyes.

Temari coughed. Emiko blinked and kept her face blank.

"Do you remember Gaara?" Temari smiled. Emiko nodded and gave a faint smile, her grey eyes sparked. Gaara gave the smallest of nods back. Sakura smiled at Gaara, and waved cheerfully. Gaara gave a nod. Sakura hugged her knees and listened to Kankuro's story about how he tricked a kid into quacking like a duck in the middle of the street. Sakura and Temari laughed freely. Gaara went outside to take a walk, and Emiko watched him out of the corner of her eye.

Temari showed them where they were sleeping. It was two separate rooms: she helped Emiko unpack, while Kankuro hung out with Sakura. The girl stepped out to the balcony, she looked overhead, the roof would be easy to get onto, which meant it would be easy to watch the sky at night.

"Do you think you'll stay this time?" Temari had walked out onto the balcony with her. Emiko looked out to Sunagakure, the sandy streets and buildings were beautiful in the setting sunlight. Everything had a rosy glow.

"I don't think I can. The Hokage said I need to find where I am from. I love this place, but I know I am not from here," Emiko said softly, she could see that Temari's face fell. They both knew she didn't belong here. It still felt strange to Emiko to be in Suna.

"But you don't have to tell your Hokage that. And you can stick with us for a while right? Half a year or more, maybe?" Temari smirked. She didn't mind breaking the rules. Emiko made a rueful smirk and didn't say anything.

"I want to stay here for a long time" Emiko said at last. Her back tingled a bit and she turned around to the roof. Temari snickered and turned around to face her brother.

"Oi! Gaara, it's not nice to sneak up on people!" Temari smirked. Gaara's expression didn't change.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you," he said evenly. Temari grinned evilly; she finally had a chance to tease her little brother. He seemed in a good mood so she could probably get away with it.

"Gaara, it's pretty perverted to sneak into a girl's bedroom!" Temari smirked. The red-head, in turn, glared venomously at his sister. Sand slithered out of his gourd. Temari's expression shifted from hilarity to pure fear, Emiko quickly stepped forward.

"Wasn't there a rule about death threats before dinner?" Emiko smiled a little bit. Temari's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, yet she started to laugh. The blonde was really cracking up, and to Emiko's surprise, Gaara let out an almost inaudible chuckle. The sand quickly flew back into the gourd. Emiko sighed quietly. Temari regained her composure, and snagged her friend's shoulders with her arm.

"I am so glad to have you back!" Temari giggled.


	9. Chapter 9: The New Home

**k for some reason the chapter 8 didn't show up so I'm going to post chapter 8 and chapter 9 on this one. Grr how irritating. If anyone knows how to fix it, please tell me! I hate being so technology deficient. **

** I know it's a little late in the game but sorry for all the spelling errors and confusion in the first couple of chapters! I'll try to make it clearer now. Anyways, a little hint for the next chapter is the person who says the disclaimer, because they usually show up some way or another in the next chapter. Anyways here we go!**

** Me: Shikamaru!**

** Shikamaru: Don't yell. I didn't sleep much last night… **

** Me: What only 12 hours? Shikamaru, say the disclaimer! **

** Shikamaru: It's too troublesome. **

** Me: Just do it! You don't want me to get Ino in here right?**

** Shikamaru: Don't bring her in here, she'll yell at me again, it's such a drag. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. Happy?**

** Me: If I did, you and Temari would definitely be together! **

** Shikamaru blushes: But… we're just friends… troublesome woman.**

** Me: Hehe how cute.**

* * *

"Did you have any trouble on your way here?" Temari suddenly asked, as if she had forgotten to mention it before. Emiko turned to look out to Suna and the setting sun.

"Yes, I killed them," Emiko stated calmly. Temari nodded, yet felt a bit uneasy, Emiko had sounded strangely like Gaara for a second. She was worried because everything had seemed relatively peaceful in the Great Shinobi Countries, which wasn't often, but a tiny group from Konoha had been attacked.

"Who were they?" she probed her friend for more information. Gaara had set his sights on becoming Kazekage, and if learning about the other countries and their motives would help him, Temari would gladly do so.

"Rain ninjas, Genins. They were just trying to steal our stuff."

A loud bang issued from inside the room behind the three ninjas, and Sakura came toppling in. She ran to the balcony, and started to laugh and pout.

"Do something about Kankuro! If he tells me one more dirty joke I'm gonna throttle him!" Temari laughed at this. She beckoned everyone to go back into the room.

"Alright, alright. It's time for dinner anyways, I'll make something for us all and you can be spared of Kankuro. He'll be too busy eating to crack another one of his jokes," Temari grinned and opened the door. Kankuro yelped and fell to the floor. He had been listening from the other side of the door, he rubbed his head irritably.

"You are not making dinner! I'll die of your food! Please spare me! Sakura! Orange-head! Gaara! Please!" Kankuro yelled. Temari glared and looked for the heaviest thing in range. She grabbed a lamp and started battering Kankuro on the head with it.

"Die! Baka! You'll regret that!" Temari yelled and she pummeled Kankuro with the bent lamp. Sakura fell to the floor holding her side from laughter. Emiko let out a small chuckle. Kankuro ran away from her into the kitchen. Temari dropped the lamp and grabbed her fan, she chased after her brother. Sakura ran behind her, eager to watch the show, and she pretended she was a commentator. Emiko sighed and picked up the now broken lamp. Gaara sat at the window and watched his siblings battle with muted enjoyment. The orange-haired girl walked over to the Konoha medic.

"Sakura, you should probably make dinner," Emiko said quietly. Sakura made a pout and walked over to the kitchen. Temari quickly ended the fight with a final slap of her fan on Kankuro's head. Kankuro grumbled something along the lines of "troublesome woman".

"My friend Shikamaru says that all the time. 'You're troublesome' or 'troublesome woman' and 'it's a drag', he says it so often, it seems like he never says anything else! He was the only guy who won the Chuunin Exams, you know. He actually fought against you, Temari! He said he didn't want to hurt her and he gave up!" Sakura giggled.

At that Temari grew pink. Emiko cocked her head, _why is Temari blushing?_ Sakura answered her question. The medic leaned over the kitchen counter to look at Temari.

"Oooo, Temari why are your cheeks pink?" Sakura asked coyly. Temari stuck her tongue out at Sakura in response. Emiko nodded and smirked. _Temari has a crush on that Konoha shinobi, Nara Shikamaru, the lazy genius._ Kankuro gasped and immediately devised a plan to torment her later. Gaara raised what would have been his eyebrows and said nothing. The orange-haired girl sat herself down on the couch and waited for dinner. She found herself making a movement with her hands, it was strange, and she hadn't even noticed that she was doing that. It was a strange wave-like movement. Temari smiled and copied her hand movements.

"You did that all the time back then too. You did it so often I even learned how to do it," her blonde friend nodded her head, and stopped moving her hands. The way her hands moved relaxed Emiko and it seemed almost like a reflex. She noticed Gaara was staring at what she was doing. She looked back at him, and he didn't look away. Emiko liked it when people didn't pretend like they weren't just looking at you.

Kankuro was practically drooling over what Sakura was making for dinner.

"Sakura-chan? Will you marry me? You're a better cook than anyone in this house," Kankuro pleaded as he took another whiff of her cooking. Sakura grinned and Temari gave her brother a dirty look.

"Sorry Kankuro, I have already been promised to Naruto. He claimed me after he ate the ramen I made for him. Besides, there's only one man I will ever love!" Sakura paused, and everyone looked at her.

"The Third Hokage! His beard and mole are so hot!" Temari and Kankuro cracked up and fell on the ground holding their sides. Emiko chuckled. Even Sakura tried to suppress her own laughter, and as usual failed miserably. The simmering pot hissed faintly as Sakura ladled out portions of the curry to everyone. The shinobi ate quietly, not making much conversation. Gaara finished first, nodded his thanks and left to go to his room.

Emiko finished next and thanked everyone. She had never really liked to eat; it felt like it weighed her down, like food wasn't really necessary. It made sense that she would feel that way, considering she was a runaway and it wasn't easy to get food back then.

The sky was completely dark and everyone had headed off to go to bed. Temari stayed with Emiko and they talked for a little while before Temari went to her room. The blonde had talked about Shikamaru, and made it painfully obvious that she had feelings for him. It was sweet; Emiko automatically hoped that it would work out between them.

Emiko didn't feel like sleeping, she had thought that she should stay awake on her first night in Suna anyway. If memory served her right, Suna was best at night. Who would have thought a desert could be so cold at that time?

The orange-haired girl stepped out onto the balcony, savoring the feeling of cool stone and wood underneath her feet and how the full moon shone so brightly. She sighed happily and climbed onto the railing and sat there. The Hidden Sand Village was so beautiful, and she didn't remember that until now. She would go into town tomorrow, the girl decided. She breathed in the night air slowly.

"Why are you awake?"

Emiko jumped and almost slipped off the railing and onto the street below. Soft sand held her wrists to the railing and slowly helped her back onto the balcony.

"I'll stay on the roof for now," the girl said as she climbed onto the roof next to the red-head.


	10. Chapter 10: The Questions

**Hey, thanks so much everyone who put up reviews. I screamed like a little school girl when I saw it. Hehe. Anyways, much appreciated. Also, if you're having trouble understanding who's thinking what, this is how I write it: the sentence before the italics, whoever is doing that action is the one who is thinking. (Example: Kankuro bounced the ball up and down. **_**This ball is so bouncy and cute!)**_** Kankuro thought that. Anyways, just trying to make it easier to read. Heh okay! This will be a short-ish chapter.  
**

**Me: Gaara, Say the disclaimer please!**

**Gaara: I have things to do.**

**Me: Come on! You can spare one minute! **

**Gaara sighs: As you wish. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

**Me: Thanks!**

**Gaara: I'm going now.**

* * *

"I'll stay on the roof for now on," the girl said as she climbed onto the roof next to the red-head. Gaara seemed to be waiting for something: Emiko looked at him curiously, and then understood.

"I like staying up sometimes," she said simply. The girl brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her folded arms. She looked at the Sand ninja next to her without turning her head. She wanted him to sit down; it was making her slightly nervous to have him stand. He sat down a couple of feet away.

"Thank you." He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the orange-haired girl.

"You saved my life, I think," she clarified. Gaara didn't really know how to respond. He didn't really think it was possible for him, secret weapon of the Sand, to actually _save_ someone from death. It felt odd but, it was good also. If he really was to become Kazekage, that's what he would do, he would protect people. It was something that Uzumaki Naruto would do.

"…Your welcome," Gaara said slowly. The silence grew. Emiko hated tension and exhaled inaudibly. She realized her hands were making the same movement as she had earlier that evening. The Jinchuuriki watched her hands move in that strange motion. It looked like a flurry of seals, it was strange. As soon as she focused on what her hands were doing, the flow stopped being automatic and she couldn't do it anymore.

"What is that hand movement?" Emiko looked at Gaara again. She felt her ears turn red and seemed to burn. The girl was shocked by this, it had never happened before. _What is going on? And my stomach seems to be knotting itself into a puzzle._ The orange-haired girl closed her eyes and breathed softly, but her body wasn't responding and stayed tense. She shrugged.

"I don't know, I just do it and I feel more relaxed," she sighed again. The stars blazed in the sky, and everything was so quiet. Yet, Emiko felt as lost as she ever had, it didn't help with this burning feeling in her body and the pressure in her chest. She still had no purpose, no reason; she was just a speck of life floating around in the world. The girl tilted her head enough to see the red-head, if there was anyone who knew how she felt, that was him. Emiko liked everything about him, how he acted, and how he barely spoke and instead looked. It wasn't a matter of the fact that they didn't have similarities; it was more like that she felt more comfortable yet nervous around him than with other people. Sakura, Kankuro, and even Temari were her friends, but it wasn't comfortable to be laughing and joking all the time. She just wanted to have a good balance. Gaara was the person she wanted to be friends with; quiet, certainly not stupid, and that's what he was.

"It's strange," the orange-haired girl said suddenly, "the world seems so big, and being just one person, it's too easy to be forgotten, or become lost. It's too easy to fail, and give up. Too easy to stop caring about anything or anyone, and nothing seems to ever change."

The Sand nin looked at her evenly, he barely showed his irritation. _Why is she preaching to me? She is talking about me as if she understands me, like she understands my pain._ Emiko looked doubtful for a second, and turned back to the view of Suna.

"I'm sorry about that, just thinking that way for so long, it becomes engraved into your head. I wished I didn't think like that, but I have to," she continued quietly as she closed her eyes. Gaara shut his eyes. _She wasn't talking about me? But we think the same way. This is not the same girl my sister was friends with those years ago, her eyes changed. _The red-head nodded, agreeing with her.

"I think the same way," Gaara said quietly.

"Do you like being awake?" the girl spoke again. At this Gaara was slightly surprised, which almost never happened. _She has no qualms in asking questions apparently. No one has ever asked me anything like this. It's irritating to be asked questions all the time. _

"I don't have a choice, it doesn't matter what I would like to do," Gaara paused, Emiko was looking at him curiously, and he closed his eyes, "… I would like to rest though, if I had the choice." Now it was her turn to be surprised, considering this was one of the times were he had spoken more than one line. She kept her facial expression like his, and nodded.

"What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Gaara wasn't sure, he furrowed what would have been his eyebrows, and he thought to himself. _The council will probably elect the new Kazekage in half a year. During those six months I should try to protect the villagers. I should open up more links from the other countries and villages. Otherwise, there is nothing to do but wait. Though Matsuri has been nagging me to train her, I shouldn't abandon her. _He shrugged.

"I need to get some supplies from the market. You can come along if you want," the girl said quietly. The red-head didn't respond, and the silence grew. He was trying to think if he wanted to or not, and he was trying to measure up the pros and cons. Emiko just waited for him to answer, she didn't move or stop looking at the sky. Tomorrow was the first day of Sakura's job at the hospital. She wasn't going to be around much during the day, only coming home before dinner.

Gaara finally nodded, he was going to go as well.

The orange-haired girl got up slowly. She rubbed her eyes which were starting to itch with tiredness. The red-head looked up at her, understanding she was going to go back to her room to sleep. Emiko looked back at the moon and Gaara. He was cute in the moonlight.

"Goodnight."


	11. Chapter 11: The Market

**Hey all! Thanks so much to greenteamoose, the advice and reviews are awesome! So I finally edited all the previous chapters, I am no longer a 'baca'! I'm a **_**baka**_** now! Gah. Anyways, let's drag someone in who will never show up in this story!**

**Me: BAKI!!**

**Baki: What is it?**

**Me: I hate you. **

**Baki: Why should I care?**

**Me: Dunno! I feel like writing a funny chapter, so yeah! Anyways because you are so irritating, can you say the disclaimer?**

**Baki: Why would I do that?**

**Me: Do you realize you have been asking questions this entire time? Anyways just say it. **

**Baki: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto**

**Me: I still hate you. I can't believe you freaking killed Hayate! He was awesome! **

* * *

"'Morning tiger, get downstairs, Pink is leaving soon!" Kankuro didn't knock as he slammed Emiko out of her peaceful sleep with her door. The girl, in turn gave him a glare that meant a certain death in the future as she untangled herself from her sheets, walked out to the hallway. She rubbed eyes and fell down the stairs.

"Smooth, spitfire," Kankuro snorted at her clumsiness, which earned him another death glare. They walked to the kitchen were Sakura was preparing to leave, trying to smile bravely despite the worry lines were etched on her face. Temari grinned and hugged the medic, wishing her boat loads of luck. Kankuro ruffled Sakura's hair, and was punched for it. Emiko gave a small shrug and hugged her uncertainly. Gaara gave a nod and shook her hand before returning to his place next to the window. Sakura took a deep breath trying to settle her nerves. She gave everyone one last brilliant smile and headed out the door.

It was a fairly quiet breakfast. Emiko dressed in her usual clothes, which were too small considering her shirt was verging on being a belly shirt. Temari was going to go to the market along with them, and Kankuro claimed he had 'previous engagements'.

"Puppet cleaning no doubt," Temari muttered under her breath as the three set out along Main Street. The merchants openly gawked at the foreigner walking with Sabaku no Gaara and his sibling. He ignored the stares and whispers, as did his friends beside him. The market was dry and hot, the pedestrians flocked gratefully to the shade underneath tents and stalls.

There were too many whispers, much more than in Konoha. It appeared that the people of Suna were much more hesitant to accept people who were friends with 'monsters'.

They walked to a weaponry shop. Temari busied herself with the wind instruments, which had a fair few fans. The orange haired girl studied the different kunai and shuriken. Gaara stood quietly next to her while looking for the most basic of weapons. Emiko looked at him curiously, and the red-haired boy understood her stare.

"My student, Matsuri. She is afraid of weapons," he stated simply. The girl beside him nodded. There were several arrangements of wicked looking instruments that all three of them were disregarding. The kunoichi surveyed them with apathetic look: there were pronged daggers, spears with poison inside the metal, more barbaric looking clubs with foot-long spikes sticking at the end. She walked up to the merchant and paid for her basic weapons.

Gaara found nothing that satisfied him. They all looked too dangerous or too… they just didn't seem to suit his student. He walked beside the orange-haired girl as she finished. Temari walked up to them and sighed irritably. She clearly wasn't happy with the choices at this store.

They walked outside, pausing at every other stall. Many of the merchants they came across were visibly terrified of the red-headed boy.

"Hm." Emiko was looking through a stall and came across a radio blasting music. The girl smiled, which was a rare occurrence, at the music playing. Temari looked at the machine curiously, since she had not seen a radio this new in a long time. The boy just stood a little ways away, and watched the girls listen. The song ended.

As they began walking again, Temari's stomach rumbled. Emiko gave her a sideways glance and raised her eyebrows. Gaara looked at his sister.

"Fine! Fine! I'm hungry, alright?" Temari yelled at them. Emiko smirked slightly, and they headed to the nearest food stall. A customer was getting her food, a girl with pink hair.

"Sakura?" the orange-haired girl asked. Her friend quickly turned around and greeted them. Temari scowled; Sakura was getting to eat.

"Want my food?" Sakura grinned widely and handed the plate to her blonde friend. Said person gratefully shoved the remaining food in her mouth. Sakura giggled at this.

"So what are you guys doing here? I'm on lunch break," the medic asked. Temari was too busy eating to reply.

"Supplies and I need new clothes," Emiko sighed. Sakura suddenly became very still. Temari stopped eating to watch Sakura's strange reaction. Gaara actually looked curious, and stood closer to the three girls. Emiko looked uncertainly at her friend and cocked her head. Sakura's pupils grew large and a high pitched squeal erupted from her.

"SHOPPING! YAY!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Temari, Emiko and Gaara sweat dropped at this. Temari then burst out laughing and Emiko's eye began to twitch. _Oh Kami. What did I get into?_ The red-headed boy's mouth twitched. Sakura seized her friend's arms and steered them to stalls carrying clothing.

"But- food!" Temari moaned. Sakura had a steely grip on both her friends' arms and was determined to bring them to a clothing store. Gaara walked behind them, slightly amused by Sakura's determination to humiliate her friends. The pink-haired Nin finally found a stall to her liking and planted Temari in a seat and stationed Emiko in front of a mirror. The lady running the clothing store was taken aback by the arrival of new customers. She quickly drew curtains around the area the girls were in and pulled racks of clothing inside the makeshift room. Gaara sat in a chair and waited patiently, ignoring his own curiosity.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Sakura planted her hands on her hips and looked as serious as anyone who had ever seen her. Temari burst out laughing. Emiko walked warily towards the racks of clothing. She wasn't the most open minded person when it came to clothes.

"Ne, Emiko?" Sakura asked as she held up a blue belly shirt, deserving the frown that her friend gave her. Sakura then picked out an arrangement of dresses and tops that showed off her body. Each item of clothing getting a flat 'no'. Sakura was getting impatient now that Emiko wasn't choosing anything.

"I am going to make you wear an outfit that I chose," Sakura smirked. Emiko looked up at her friend and gave her an icy glare.

"Oooo. I want in!" Temari got up from her chair. The orange-haired girl shook her head and backed away from her friends.

"Don't you dare," Emiko hissed. Temari and Sakura smirked.

"Oh we dare," Sakura said gleefully. The two girls cornered their friend, who in turn, swore loudly.


	12. Chapter 12: The Clothes

**Hey everyone! This chapter is going to be short, gomen. The next chapter will be a lot longer, I promise! Thanks for the reviews, they give me warm fuzzy feelings. Geehehehehe. Okay, anyways! **

**Me: Matsuri, get your fan girl ass out here.**

**Matsuri: You don't need to be so mean, I didn't do anything to you!**

**Me: Stupid. Fan. Girl! Usuratonkachi! Nya! Just say the disclaimer.**

**Matsuri: What if I don't feel like it?**

**Me: Gaara will like you more!**

**Matsuri: OKAY! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

**Me: Get it through your head. Student. Teacher. Get the picture?! Gaara and you. No. Nooooooooooooooooooooooo. **

* * *

Gaara felt slightly amused as he listened to the protests and yelps issuing from the orange-haired girl behind the curtain. Apparently, she was losing a very difficult battle.

"Just stop trying to get the clothes off! Then we'll make this as painful as possible!" he heard Temari shout. There was a short thudding noise, then a slight scream. He chuckled darkly. Who knew getting dressing was so painful? The lady selling the clothes looked bewildered by what was going on. The red-head noticed this, and made sure he looked as terrifying as possible. At the looks the boy had and the torture behind the make-shift room, the sales lady fled to the cash register and pretended to be sorting ryou.

"I don't want to look in the mirror," The orange-haired girl made sure each word had its fair share of venom. Temari scowled at her and shoved her in front of the mirror.

"I'm…. wearing… a DRESS!?" Emiko screamed. Sakura smirked and nodded her head gleefully. The two kuniochis had put Emiko in a blue kimono with pink flowers embellished on the sleeves and bodice. _I hope I don't develop hives because of all this… pink. Man, I feel so girly. I want this off of me in three seconds or else someone is going to die. _

"Get this off of me before I break your limbs," the orange-haired girl said calmly. She glared murderously. Temari and Sakura scowled until they realized their friend was being serious. They quickly helped Emiko out of the kimono.

"It looked really good on you!" Temari and Sakura pouted as they walked out of the dressing room. Emiko sighed and she gave her male friend a look that clearly said 'don't ask'. Then something caught her eye. There were some racks the merchant hadn't brought in the make shift dressing room.

Emiko reached for a grey t-shirt. She knew she would get it as soon as she touched it. The shirt was loose and grey with a blue-green trim. On each sleeve the trim made a wave-like shape. The girl gave a shadow of a smile and she headed silently into the curtained area. Sakura attempted to follow after her friend, but after a not-so-playful shove which floored her, she decided to let Emiko try on the shirt by herself. Temari scowled at no one in particular.

The girl stepped out of the curtained room and quietly approached the counter. Seeing that no harm had actually come to of any customers, the merchant gladly took Emiko's money.

"Wait a minute," the lady went to the rack and fished out some pants, "you look like you need these as well". The shorts were a rust red color. Emiko nodded appreciatively.

"Arigato."

The two girls gawked at Emiko who was walking obliviously next to them. She suddenly looked at them.

"Isn't your lunch break over?" The orange-haired girl said with a hint of a smirk. Sakura then cursed loud enough to stop Gaara from walking, along with many other shoppers roaming the market street. At this, the pink-haired girl turned a beautiful shade of red and ran back to the hospital. Temari scratched the back of her head and laughed. Emiko sighed and kept walking. They walked into silence as Temari eyed the food stalls suspiciously.

"Food, now?!" Temari begged.


	13. Chapter 13: The Dream

**YOSH! Since this story has gotten over 1000 freaking hits I am going to post again! And two reviews as well! Thank you who ever did that and soccercrazyfreak (nice name by the way). Anyways this chapter is a big one! When you see the gigantically long italics, I suggest you listen to "Nami Kaze Satellite" on You Tube, its Naruto's 7****th**** opening I believe. You should know when to play it. **

**Me: Who today? Aa! Get out here, Matsuri.**

**Matsuri: I was here last time!**

**Me: Well I decided to make you show up in the next chapter, not this one.**

**Matsuri: Saying the disclaimer isn't fun you know!**

**Me: It would be easier if you just say it.**

**Matsuri: What do I get in return?**

**Me: You'll pass the Chuunin Exams.**

**Matsuri: YOSH! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto!**

**Me: Muahahahah I didn't say **_**when**_** you would pass!**

* * *

The orange-haired girl never felt more comfortable in her life. She wasn't going to stay up for long tonight. Just enough to be calm and enjoy the night.

"_Hamidashita kaze wo atsumete mitai na  
Nami no saki tsutatte kanata e kaketeku  
Kakugo wa kimatteru Michi wa tookutemo  
Egaita mirai e tsuzuiteru_

_Haruka na koko kara kanata no kimi e to  
Ano hibi no kaze to kakera wo todoketai  
Sabishiku wa nai yo Itsumo koko ni iru  
Dokomademo kaze ga tsunaideru_

_Toki ga bokura wo sekashite Kodou ga supiido agetetta  
Yume no naka de mezamete mo Onaji hikari wo sagashita  
Kagayaku hoshizora no shita Kazoe kirenai seiza to kage  
Nemurenai yoru tadotte Kasuka na hibiki motomete_

_Deai to wakare wo kurikaeshite monao  
Boku wa konna ni mo kodomo no mama da  
Awai imeeji nante  
Michibata ni kori nagete shimaetara na_

_Tsugi ni kimi ni au toki wa Motsureta ito wo hodoite  
Akiru made hanashi wo shite Dekiru dake egao deiyou  
Hanayagu machinami wo nuke Asayake ga hoo wo someteku  
Sono saki ni kimi wa nani wo Nani wo mitsumeteiru darou  
Nani wo mitsumeteiru darou_

_Toki ga kasoku wo tsuzukete Kaze ga bokura wo tsunaide_

_Sabishiku wa nai yo Ima mo koko ni iru  
Dokomademo kaze wa…"_

She sang quietly. The song had been stuck in her head since she heard it that morning. It really did mean something to her. _I remember singing when I was little; I used to do it all the time. I don't remember any of those songs from my childhood anymore. I like this song though._

Emiko's back stiffened, she sighed and she could feel her ears burn.

"Gaara." She turned around slowly to see the red-head standing behind her, looking out at Suna like they had done the night before.

"Hn," He replied. She felt her ears grow hotter.

"Sorry," He gave her a strange look.

"Nani?"

"For the singing. I've never done that in front of anyone," Emiko said quietly.

Gaara walked down to her level and sat down. His face remained ever neutral, not really displaying any signs if he cared that she had started singing randomly in his presence.

"I don't mind," he struggled to say, he looked at the sky. She noticed that this was uncomfortable for. Emiko breathed and focused on relaxing.

"Thank you then," she said quietly and spared him from being looked at. Yet this was too awkward, and Emiko hated awkward situations. Her eyes felt like they were being pulled out of her skull anyway, so she ought to go to bed.

"Good night, Gaara," the girl said. She walked away to her balcony and went to bed. Gaara watched her leave. He wondered if this girl was actually considered his friend.

Like many girls, she had a distinct smell, he couldn't figure out what hers was yet. Sakura smelled like her name, cherry blossoms, and Temari had an earthy clean smell. They didn't smell bad. Definitely not, but it was interesting to him.

… … …

The red-head's ears pricked to a strange noise. There was a muted cry, followed by a smashing noise. He soundlessly moved to where the noises were located. He found himself on the balcony to Emiko's room. There were more muffled whimpers. Gaara didn't like the fact that he was entering a girl's room; there was a certain degree of privacy he was violating.

The girl was struggling in her sleep. It was odd to see someone so tormented in what should be the most peaceful hours of your day. He almost pitied her. Yet, he hadn't felt the bliss of sleep for, how long had it been, 13 years? Gaara's thoughts flicked back to the girl in front of him as she kicked the covers and pulled at her arms. Now he was perplexed; he should figure out what he what he was going to do next. He could leave, and let her cry it out. He could watch in sadistic amusement as she struggled with her nightmare. Or he could do what seemed like the stupidest choice, and wake her up. The red-head exhaled silently. Waking her up could entail being labeled a pervert, or being hurt (which seemed unlikely considering his gourd was right by him as usual). Yet he didn't feel inclined to watch her suffer as she was.

Emiko was almost crying, but trying to suffocate any tears that might surface. Gaara didn't feel like leaving, and he didn't want to stay, but it was too late now. He had already stridden to the side of the bed. The girl was sweating and breathing heavily as though she had just run from Suna to Konoha and back. He placed his hand tentatively on her shoulder.

The skin was too warm; the girl shivered and let out a meek whimper. Gaara had never felt more uncomfortable, but he put his hand firmly on the sleeping girl's shoulder. Emiko suddenly awoke and jolted upright, breathing hard and fast. She snapped her head to the red-head holding her shoulder. She was terrified, and for the first time in many years she burst out crying. She couldn't stop crying, though she tried to wipe away all the feelings surfacing from those nightmares.

Now Gaara was in an even more difficult situation. He had woken up a girl who burst into tears in front of him. He had never seen someone cry like this when he was there, unless perhaps out of fear. But he was in a room with a crying girl, and he still had no idea of what to do. His thoughts flicked to what someone other than himself would do. Uzumaki Naruto. Gaara had only looked up to one person, and that was him. So what would he do?

Then he felt a strange warm contact. He couldn't see due to a head of orange hair sobbing into his shoulder. The girl was hugging him. He hadn't been hugged in the longest time, _no_, he had never been hugged. And now this girl was holding onto him as if it was comforting, and she wasn't letting go. He didn't know what to do with his arms. He should hold her as well, shouldn't he? He wouldn't realize he liked the hug until the next day, despite the awkward position. But right now, the red-head was still confused.

Emiko looked up to see Gaara's face closer than she had ever seen it, then she realized she had wrapped her arms around him. She pushed herself away from the boy as quickly as she could. The girl felt wetness on her cheeks, and put her hand on her face. She quickly brushed away the tears. The red-head's expression had no emotion: it was as if he hadn't even registered the close contact he just experienced with another person.

Emiko tried to regulate her breathing and walked outside to the balcony. Gaara walked slowly to her side. He felt… differently about the girl now. The same sort of feeling for Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara felt now for this orange-haired girl. _Is this…friendship? _

"I'm sorry. I hate crying."

Gaara looked carefully at the girl next to him. Her grey eyes were bright, and she looked even paler and thinner than usual. She was very thin for their age, but she was wiry. Emiko looked fragile for the first time since he had seen her in years, but what would make her like that?

"What happened?" This surprised her. She hadn't expected him to ask, she hadn't expected him to stick around period. She felt herself tilt and she grasped the balcony rail to support herself. The orange-haired girl looked up to the roof, and gave Gaara a quick look that said to go up there with her. She climbed up and sat down staring at the sky as she usually did. She exhaled quietly. She ought to tell someone, it felt too heavy to keep it on her chest.

"I have a memory of the village where I am from. I don't know why, but when I was six, I decided to run away. I had everything packed, and I left easily. But… I took one final look toward my home, to say goodbye… Everything was on fire. My home, my family, it was all burning in front of me. And I ran away, I didn't try save anyone, I ran like a coward. I keep reliving that moment in my dreams, and it's like it happened all over again. That's why I am the Nigenasai, I won't stop running away no matter what. Yet why do I exist? Why am I here?"

Emiko sighed at looked to the sky. It felt like her heart was on fire and the inside of her body was burning and scorched and hollow. More than anything, she wanted to be held, to be soothed. She didn't want to strive for anything anymore, it didn't seem worth it. The girl absently touched the scar under her eye. She still didn't know where it came from.

Her eyes turned to the boy next to her. He was staring at her calmly. He had a miserable life as well, worse, in fact, than hers. Everyone hated him, and he couldn't do anything to really stop them from feeling that way. He was labeled a monster. Her life wasn't nearly as sad or emotionally scarring. Yet, they had come to think the same way. Life was so strange.

"We are the same," Gaara said almost inaudibly. It wasn't true though; their lives were very different from each other's. Yet he was right in how they were alike at the moment. They were trying to find their reasons to exist, and struggling to escape from the hopelessness that came along with their lives. Shukaku was the only thing keeping him alive, considering if the demon was taken from his body he would die. Yet nothing was keeping the orange-haired girl next to him from dying. She couldn't find anything to live for, and Gaara felt the same way. Shukaku was not a reason and would never be a reason to live. But like Naruto believed, it was to protect the ones you cared about, and protect them with your life. The special bonds that were so hard for them both to obtain, that was worth more than their lives, and they should protect it. Gaara understood now, perhaps more clearly than he ever had. He didn't have to wait for a special bond to just appear, to suddenly feel as though he could live for another. He had to find the bond himself. And this girl, Emiko, she needed the same; she needed to find a bond that she would protect with her life.

The girl looked at Gaara. She stood up slowly and faced him. Emiko couldn't keep living this way: she needed to find her reason for living. She needed to have a real friend that understood her, and care about her and she would care about them. Their eyes were at the same level. Emiko never realized they were the same height. She walked cautiously toward him.

It was a simple movement. She hugged him. And it did more than just make her heart stop burning, she felt as if all the misery and loneliness melted off. Gaara folded his arms around her back, trying to ignore the uncomfortable closeness of their bodies. Their friendship was official now, and it seemed like it broke down their emotional barriers with each other. The red-head smiled, it was on such few occasions he smiled that it felt a little foreign to him.

"We're friends," It was a statement and a question. She loved being held by him, he was warm and the feeling of being in contact with someone was better than anything. She could feel his head move.

"Aa," Gaara said simply. Emiko felt the vibration of his voice along her shoulder. They pulled away from each other. They were both wearing a small smile, and it was a truly happy smile. They found friendship in each other.


	14. Chapter 14: The Fan Girl

Righty so thanks for reviews

**Righty so thanks for reviews. You're not nameless anymore, greenteamoose! That review cracked me up, by the way. Hope the song thing didn't throw people off! At least it was in the show… and she wasn't singing some random song by Rihanna. **

**Emiko: I hate that singer. **

**Me: I kinda figured. **

**Thanks Mellolicious (marshmallows? Where?!) for the review. Fluffiness is good sometimes. :)**

**By the way, I just wanted to point out my random irony in this story that was completely unintentional. Earlier Temari teases Gaara by calling him a pervert for "trying to sneak into Emiko's room", then he actually does that. Hehehe I crack myself up. Anyways, enjoy the evilness of fan girls. **

**Me: Who is going to say the disclaimer?! I've already had everyone for the next chapter say it!**

**Lee: Yosh! I'll do it since I couldn't do it earlier!**

**Me: Thank you, Lee! You rule! **

**Lee: TheContheDistance doesn't own the show Naruto! It would be much more youthful if she did!**

**Me: ….It would? But I'm not youthful at all!**

* * *

Emiko's mouth twitched. The brown-haired girl was at least two years younger than her but acted like a five year-old. _I hate children. Why would this girl be the only one to choose him as a sensei?_ The girl giggled and blushed as Gaara showed her how to hit a target. _Usuratonkachi, she is one of the worst shinobi I've seen in a long time. She is not focusing on training, what she really cares about is my friend next to her. Stupid fucking fan girls. _

"Matsuri," the red-head turned to his student as she blushed at the mention of her name (Emiko's scowl deepened), "The Chuunin exams are soon. You need to train," Matsuri's face turned a brighter red. Emiko snickered to herself silently. The Genin saw this and glared at the orange-haired girl, she had no idea who she was or why she was watching her train and her attitude was starting to piss her off. Gaara's face remained impassive; he chose to remain oblivious of the stupid rivalry of girls in general. And yet… he had an idea, it would benefit everyone, even Kankuro who stopped tinkering with his puppets to watch the girls glare at each other.

"Matsuri, fight Emiko." Said girls blinked at this. The orange-haired girl gave a violent sneeze in response.

"Nani?" she said dully. _I'm not fighting some stupid girl, especially if she is as pathetic as she seems. She can't even throw a kunai. I'll break her. _Gaara nodded and Kankuro started laughing. Matsuri seemed to look frightened but defiant. Emiko breathed and looked coldly at the young girl _Oh, this girl has hopes alright, impossible ones._

"If you don't want your student in the hospital and unable to be in the exams, you should call this off," the orange-haired girl said evenly. She leaned on the wall and stared impassively at Gaara. Matsuri gave her another glare._ Bite me. She is trying to look fiercer than she actually is. I need to impress Gaara-sama by fighting this outsider. _Gaara shrugged.

"Then don't kill her." Kankuro snickered and muttered something along the lines of "fat chance". The red-head leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest and looked emotionlessly at the fight. Kankuro smirked and put his puppets away. Matsuri looked slightly panicked but went into a fighting stance as her opponent walked toward her. Emiko looked at her coldly.

"Ahh!" the brown-haired girl ran toward her opponent.

"Uhn-" Matsuri looked around and saw the orange-haired kunoichi holding her wrist at arm's length. Emiko turned the girl around to face her and kicked her in the stomach. Gaara's student fell down on the ground with a thud. The orange-haired girl put her hands in her pockets and waited for the other girl to get up. Now Matsuri was more than just a little pissed off, she had every intention of hurting this jerk badly enough to go to the hospital. She grabbed a kunai and dashed at the grey-eyed girl in front of her. Matsuri threw the weapon at her opponent's chest. Matsuri gasped; Emiko had caught the kunai less than a hand's breadth from her heart, and she didn't seem fazed at all. The orange-haired girl threw the kunai down as Matsuri came charging at her with her hands balled into fists. Emiko grabbed her fist as it zoomed in. The brown-haired girl grinned.

"You're done!" Matsuri pushed her other fist into Emiko's stomach, and the orange-haired girl looked at her straight in the eye.

"Was that supposed to hurt me?" Emiko, holding Matsuri's fist, twisted her arm until she cried out. Then the orange-haired girl slowly walked behind Gaara's student still holding the twisted arm. Matsuri wailed.

"That is enough," the red-head ordered coolly.

Emiko let go and walked next to Kankuro as Matsuri gave her a glare of pure venom and received an indifferent stare back. Kankuro laughed, he always got enjoyment from watching people fight. Gaara looked somewhat satisfied, but his student pouted and rubbed her shoulder.

"Gaara-sama, why did you bring _her_ anyways?" his student whined. Emiko's hand twitched and she had the sudden urge to break the girl's arm. The orange-haired girl clenched her jaw and acted before she could think.

"Oh, Gaara-_kun_," Emiko said sweetly while putting the emphasis on the "kun", "I can't wait to get home, is it okay if I can sleep in your bed tonight?"

Kankuro's jaw almost hit the ground, and Matsuri looked mortified. Gaara on the other hand, kept his composure and didn't say anything. Kankuro tugged on Emiko's sleeve and nodded to Gaara. The orange-haired girl kept her face emotionless.

"Did you really need to do that?" Kankuro grinned though Emiko scowled, and walked quietly next to him.

"She irritates me…" Her voice had more malice in it then she intended. Kankuro laughed then suddenly looked anxious.

"My brother is rubbing off on you, ne? Ya little spitfire," Emiko merely shrugged in response. Kankuro looked closely at the girl's face; she was keeping her emotions very well hidden. She _was_ becoming like his brother. Kankuro suppressed a little shiver. He would hate to have someone like her threaten him everyday, I mean, who needed more death threats in life? Kankuro sighed and tried to think hopefully everything was going to be okay.

...

Gaara walked silently on the rooftops over his brother and friend. His student was starting to aggravate him, and yet she still blushed when he was around. Matsuri used to seem kind and weak, but she changed. It was unnecessary for Emiko to say that though. It was equivalent to starting a fight with a child. Yet when she called him "Gaara-kun", was she being serious? He shrugged all those thoughts off.

...

Emiko sat on the swing and sent a couple of pebbles flying. Kankuro sat on the ground with his hood off and licked his ice cream. Emiko thought he looked like a little kid when he did that. _He's really cute without his hood on; he and Gaara look a lot alike when you can see his hair. _Kankuro looked up to see the girl staring at him.

"Grey meany, you scare me with your stares sometimes. What are you thinking?" Kankuro lifted his eyebrow and laughed at his new nickname for her. She told him what she had been thinking and he grinned, then blushed and scratched his head.

"Really?" Kankuro looked at Emiko closely to see if she was lying.

"Aa. You could have Matsuri on you if you didn't wear your hood or make-up," she responded dryly. He was actually considering this idea, it would be nice for girls to chase him once in a while, he grinned widely. Emiko sighed at his expression and started walking back home, Kankuro running to catch up with her.


	15. Chapter 15: The Problem with Fan Girls

**Hey everyone, here is chapter 15! Yet again, Mellolicious and greenteamoose, you guys are hilarious. In your pants?! Anyways, thanks for the review. **

**Me: This is pointless if the same people are saying the disclaimer each time! I might as well people who aren't going to show up in the story period. **

**Karin: That could work!**

**Me: WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!**

**Karin: I was looking for Sasuke-**

**Me: Don't you freaking dare say the suffix!**

**Karin: ku-**

**Me: NO!! Just say the bloody disclaimer!**

**Karin: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto or my Sasuke-kun!**

**Me: God damn it! The suffix! Why?! **

* * *

Sakura was sitting on the couch and trying to stop her feet from hurting. Working at the hospital and standing up all day did not do well for her. She had been feeling out of sorts lately; not well at all. She was tired and short-tempered throughout the day and giddy when around Temari and Kankuro. She sighed dully as she drank some water.

Emiko and Kankuro walked through the door and raised their eyebrows when they saw her. Sakura waved limply.

"What happened to the hood?" Kankuro ran his hands through his hair smiling sheepishly, and mumbled something along the lines of "felt like taking it off". Sakura grinned: _He looks really cute without his hood!_

Emiko plunked down on the couch and gave her usual cold stare into the distance. Sakura hummed sympathetically and looked at her friend.

"What's up?" Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at her friend and Kankuro went to get food in the kitchen.

"Stupid fan girls, annoying fan girls."

Sakura blinked, what was she talking about? Emiko grit her teeth and thought about how much Matsuri annoyed her. _Shallow fan girl. She tries to be all sweet and nice to Gaara, but she's actually an irritating little brat._ Sakura gripped the hem of her dress and frowned.

"Why do you hate them?" she said slowly. Emiko cracked her knuckles and scowled, completely ignorant to the dangerous edge in Sakura's voice.

No one saw Gaara as he appeared on the stairs leading to the kitchen. He could hear Emiko and Sakura talking; the red-head stayed silent and listened.

"It's not like fan girls even care about the guy's personality, it's all about appearances. She is a pathetic waste of space. Do fan girls really believe that just by following guys around that they will fall in love with them?" Emiko snapped. She looked at Sakura without turning her head. The pink-haired girl got up and looked down at her friend with anger.

"You don't know anything! You don't know if she really cares about him! She could love him for all you know! He might be mean to her, and tell her she's annoying and weak, but she might really love him!" Sakura tried to stifle her tears as Kankuro looked at them oddly with toast in his mouth. Kankuro then shrugged it off thinking about how girls were so affected by their hormones.

Gaara lifted what-would-be his eyebrows. He would never have thought that Sakura could sound so… fierce.

Emiko recovered from Sakura's outburst and kept her cool.

"Sasuke left you on a bench in the middle of the night. You don't deserve him," Sakura let her tears fall, the hole he left in her heart was still hurting after all this time.

"Don't judge whoever she is just because she loves him and wants to be around him. If you hate her then you should hate me. We are the same," Sakura balled her fists as Emiko rose to her height. The orange-haired girl nodded and put her hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura frowned, pink flashed by Gaara. The red-head just stared at the medic as she ran to her bedroom. He couldn't say it out loud, but he was intrigued by her.

……. ………. ………………. ……………

"Sakura, I am sorry for offending you," Emiko said slowly as she walked into Sakura's room. Her words weren't completely sincere; Emiko didn't want to be bothered with a temper tantrum from Sakura. It would be very annoying to deal with.

The pink-haired medic was sitting on her bed, twisting some of her hair. She looked so vulnerable right then, as if Sasuke could magically appear and tell Sakura her hair was stupid, she'd kill herself. Emiko sat on Sakura's bed and looked at her calmly.

"Tell me about Sasuke."

……………………………………………………….

"Why couldn't Kankuro or Gaara come along, huh?!" Temari shouted as she clubbed a ninja over the head with her fan. The man responded by throwing a kunai at her while she blocked it. _These guys are idiots. I can't believe this is a B-rank mission. _

"I mean I understand that Sakura is busy with the hospital, but what's their excuse?! Of all people, Gaara would want to come along. How are you holding up, Emiko?!" The blonde ninja yelled to her friend who was taking on three ninjas.

Emiko spat out some blood and threw a kunai at one of the guys attacking Temari. _Direct hit. Stupid teme, trying to mess with us._ One of the ninjas sliced her arm when she wasn't looking.

"Kuso. I'm fine Temari, you?" Emiko managed to yell as she hit the ninja's nose with the heel of her palm. The man fell down. The girl frowned. _This is easy, too easy, especially for a B-rank. Another one down, is this a suicide mission for them? Are we fighting kids? _

"Is it just me, or this is too easy?" Temari called as she blew an enemy into a wall. Emiko threw another to the ground. She agreed. There had to be some kind of trick. The mission was simply to bring back a scroll that was stolen by a group of ninjas. Now she couldn't see any scroll anywhere. _What the hell is going on? _

The group of ninjas suddenly backed away from her and Temari. Emiko motioned her friend to stand by her. The group clustered in a circle and looked at them.

"What's going on now?" Temari growled. Emiko shrugged and watched them carefully. The one person in the middle made a hand seal and suddenly grew larger and somewhat scary. Temari raised her eyebrows and Emiko blinked. The guy stepped out of the circle and brought out two huge scrolls. Then all ninjas looked burlier and scarier than before. He let the scrolls go and they fell open revealing dozens of huge weapons. Emiko raised her eyebrows. _Oh that's a new one. _


	16. Chapter 16: The Mistake

**Hey everyone! Mellolicious I think you are going to kill me! Noooooo….. Anyway, I was hoping I'd be a little bit more original than other stories out there. But you pretty much hit the nail on the head with that. Yet again, I do have an evil plan… muahahah. I don't know about the toast! I just thought it would be funny for him to walk around with toast in his mouth. **

**I think everything is funny, you should see me when I read fan fics. I really don't blame Sakura for yelling at Emiko. After all, Emiko is not a nice person. Just so you know about the switching scenes thing, I put a series of periods between the paragraphs, there's one like that in this chapter. **

**Finally Dragon of Twilight, I don't think this story will have any definite pairings. But it will probably be obvious by the next chapters. **

**Me: We need someone for the disclaimer!**

**Secret person: Hn, I'll do it.**

**Me: Who are you?!**

**Secret person: Someone who won't show up in this story... ever…. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto or my foolish little brother.**

**Me: I know who it is! ITACHI! GAH! **

* * *

"What's going on now?" Temari growled. Emiko shrugged and watched them carefully. The one person in the middle made a hand seal and suddenly grew larger and somewhat scary. Temari raised her eyebrows and Emiko blinked. The guy stepped out of the circle and carried two huge scrolls. Then all ninjas looked burlier and scarier than before. He let the scrolls go and they fell open revealing dozens of huge weapons. Emiko raised her eyebrows. _Oh that's a new one. _

"Now that it has been evened up a bit, I can feel excited," Emiko smirked and grabbed her kunai. Temari grinned as well, now things were going to get interesting. All the ninjas in front of them grabbed a huge weapon. Everyone fell into their battle stances.

"Let's go!" Temari shouted. Everyone ran toward to their enemy. Temari used her fan as club and bowled ninjas over left and right. _Kuso, their stamina and endurance have increased. Even if I hit them they get back up! Ah! Man, don't want to get hit by those weapons. _Emiko focused on using taijutsu and started dodging and kicking but wasn't getting very far. _Shit, shit, shit! This isn't helping me. They are too good now, and I don't have enough physical strength to keep them down. The dust and sand is getting in my eyes and not theirs. Why the hell are we in an arena anyway? Stupid idiots just had to run in an abandoned building. _The enemy ninjas were getting a lot out of Emiko and she was getting pretty beaten up. _They are stronger now as well. They are better in everything!_ One ninja with a spiked club tried to hit her head, Emiko flipped over them and was punched in the stomach by another. The orange-haired girl skid across the ground on her hands and feet, and coughed up some blood. The dust surrounded her. _Fuck, I'm not getting anywhere with this! I need to think of a plan. _She stamped the ground in frustration, _I can't think of anything!_ …_Wait a second._

"Temari! Get close!" Emiko yelled. Her friend skidded over to her, the cloud of dust making them cough. They fought the ninjas pressing on them.

"Stamp on the ground! Think about it!" She yelled to her blonde friend. Temari flashed Emiko a grin and nodded.

"I see it!"

"Alright!" Emiko smirked and threw everyone off them and leaped back with Temari. The blonde ninja threw her fan open as Emiko held out three fingers.

"3…2…1…Let's rock!" Emiko and Temari jumped causing a cloud of dust to rise. Emiko fell down to the ground.

"Now!" Temari pushed her fan through the air creating a huge air current. The sand clouds flew toward the enemies, picking up more sand and dust off the ground. The huge haze completely covered their enemies. Temari grinned and wiped her hand across the fan.

"Ninpou, Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" The blonde yelled as she sent another wave of air toward the enemies. Emiko surveyed the bodies of their opponents and patted Temari on the shoulder. The orange-haired girl picked up the scroll and walked out of the arena with her friend.

…………………………. ……………………

"She's pretty," Gaara thought about what the girl said; he had hoped he wasn't so obvious. Two weeks had passed since he had realized he had feelings for her. She was an amazing person, and was kind and always had a smile on her face. Still, he thought he had been so careful not to let anyone realize his feelings for her. Gaara had avoided looking at her and acted normally towards her.

"Aa." He whispered. She looked at him, a strange expression on her face. Some strange combination of sadness and knowing colored her features.

"She likes you as a friend. She likes him still," Emiko faced toward the city and didn't want to look at Gaara's face. She didn't want to hurt him, he had been hurt his entire life. She cared about him so much, and she would rather die then see him hurt. She looked at the scrapes and cuts on her arms from the fight earlier that day. Sakura was asleep before Emiko came home with Temari, and therefore couldn't heal them.

Gaara looked toward the orange-haired girl. He understood this about Sakura and knew he was going to stop caring about her and how he felt. He also knew there was no future with her, especially if she was pining for the Uchiha. At least he had his friend, and that was more than what he could ask for. He would protect her like Uzumaki Naruto would protect someone.

The red-head sat down next to Emiko. Her wounds were still bleeding, only a little though. Gaara took her wrist, causing Emiko to shift her position toward him. His pale blue eyes scanned her hand; there was a nasty cut down the palm and her fingers, probably from holding back a spiked weapon.

Emiko blinked. Gaara was licking her bloody finger clean. Her ears turned bright red, and she could feel the heat spread to her neck and cheeks. He looked up at her, and for once, he seemed somewhat embarrassed. Their faces were too close and they looked at each other. It seemed like he wanted to say something for a second but Emiko put her hand to his mouth to stop him. The red-head's face flushed a little.

"Gaara…" She looked at him and lifted her hand to tentatively touch the kanji on his forehead. Then Emiko kissed him. That did shock the red-head, and he tensed up, not knowing what to do. He felt her lips quickly leave his.

She already walked away from him into her room. Gaara frowned. _This is going to be a very long night. _


	17. Chapter 17: The News

**Hey everyone. I got to get cracking on writing because all these posts are catching up fast. Anyways, the usual thanks to greenteamoose and Mellolicious. Thank you for not killing me yet, Mello (I love nicknames, at least I'm not like Sai in that way…) Again I got my ultra-super-evil-plot no jutsu up my sleeve. Toast! I made sure that Kankuro's favorite food is not toast, but BAGELS. Hey greentea (yay for nicknames again!). You'll have to wait and see the awkwardness! Hurrah! Meh, I kind of want Emiko to be a mean person, I think it's because all the characters on Naruto (except a couple such as the ultra cool Kakashi) can be really, really irritating and at other times they are so awesome you want to high five them. **

**Also, does anyone know what the beta-reader thing is? Kind of confused….**

**Me: All right, disclaimer time! **

**Izumi: I'll do it. **

**Me: Aww I love you my awesome OC! **

**Izumi: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto, and she is going to write about me in the next chapter.**

**Me: Sa-weet.**

* * *

Two months passed by in a blink of an eye. Sakura couldn't believe she had one month left in Suna. Tsunade-sama had ordered them to come back to Konoha two months earlier. It was strange to think that she'd miss this place, if only a little, and stranger still to think that she'd miss the Sand Siblings.

She was somewhat confused about her friend Emiko, though. She had been comfortable for the first month that they were in Suna, especially comfortable with Gaara, close even. That in itself was odd considering it was him. Then all of a sudden everything seemed distant between them. Sakura was baffled by it. She had a feeling Kankuro knew what happened, but she and Temari were completely in the dark.

_What's Emiko going to do when we're supposed to go back home? She told me that she wasn't born in Suna, but she had lived here. So now what is going to happen? I guess she'll come back with me, but she seems really at home here. Tsunade-sama isn't going to like that she hasn't found her village yet. Where could she be from? Hidden Mist? Hidden Cloud? Or…Hidden Village of Sound? If she was from there… No. No. Emiko is not from the Sound. _

Sakura sighed as she finished the paperwork at the hospital. She could see why her teacher detested the troublesome assignments so much. Despite the fact that it was boring and took up a lot of time, Sakura was quick and finished the pile of papers in no time.

Her class was progressing nicely, they had learned how to clean and heal major wounds but they still weren't good enough to take out poisons yet. They probably wouldn't be able to before she left. Today had been worse than usual though; no one was paying much attention to her and they seemed reckless and excited. It confused her but there were a lot of things that were confusing to her.

The people on the main street now recognized her, though it was hard for anyone to forget a girl with pink hair. Some waved, others merely smiled in her general direction. People in Suna were not the most trusting types. Not very emotional either. The pink-haired medic sighed again and walked to the door of the Sand Sibling's house.

Emiko sat patiently on the couch next to Temari. The blonde chuckled as Kankuro annoyed Gaara for some reason or another. Sakura walked in the house and raised her eyebrows at the strange gathering.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Good timing, Kankuro and Gaara were about to tell us some big news!" Temari grinned and turned back to her brothers. Gaara glared at Kankuro to calm down, but he merely grinned widely back. Sakura sat down next to Temari and waited for the big announcement.

"We better start calling Gaara, 'Gaara-sama' because he's the new Kazekage," Kankuro beamed at his brother. Temari and Sakura yelped in joy and Emiko smiled. Gaara smiled faintly but it was immediately squashed when his sister hugged him. _When did I become so easy to hug?_ Gaara's mouth twitched a little at this thought. As soon as Temari released him, Sakura bounded up and gave him a quick pat on the back. Kankuro grinned widely and ruffled his brother's hair. Gaara glared up at him before shaking his head. Emiko got up and looked at him cautiously. The red-head looked straight back at her. Emiko lifted her eyebrows as if she was asking a question, Gaara shrugged and gave a hint of a smile in response. Emiko's mouth quirked into a half smile.

"Gaara-sama I heard the great news!" Matsuri jumped into the room to find Gaara and Emiko hugging. Her face fell and she looked like she was about to cry. Sakura pityingly dragged the girl away from the hugging friends.

"We're okay then?" Emiko asked just to make sure. Gaara folded his arms around her back. She felt his head nod. She let go and smiled wider. Temari and Kankuro beamed at them.

……………………………………………………….

Emiko sat next to the Kazekage and sipped her tea. Gaara was cloaked in the drapery white fabric. He scowled at the Kazekage robes, it was a shame they were mandatory.

"It's only been a couple of days, you know. You'll get used to it," Emiko smirked knowingly at the Kazekage's persistent frown. She didn't like the robes as well, but the white made him look less pale than he usually did.

He made sure that she was in his office everyday. Since meetings had become more frequent they were already starting to tire the red-head out, and that's why she was there. Naturally Emiko still cared for him and spent most of her time helping him.

They had made a pact that they wouldn't hug in front of other people since hugging usually meant something more… involved. Gaara and Emiko just liked to embrace each other, as strange as that sounded, they felt comfortable around each other and hugging was a source of comfort. It was friendship to them.

"There is a week left," Gaara reminded her quietly. The girl looked up to him and nodded. She put her hand on top of his, he flinched then relaxed. She withdrew her hand a little regretfully.

"I don't know what I'll do," she sighed. Gaara took her hand, touching it with his fingers. Emiko suppressed a chuckle, it was so strange to have the ever stoic Gaara hold someone's hand.

The Kazekage let it go and closed his eyes. Emiko suddenly had the urge to hug him. She sighed a little and closed her eyes, reminding herself that such things shouldn't be acted on.

"Sleeping on the job already, ne?" Temari smirked at her brother and friend, who both glared at her when they opened their eyes. She raised her eyebrows. _They act so similar it's starting to scare me._ Emiko shifted in her seat and looked at the blonde.

"I need something to do. Can we go on a mission?" Kankuro stepped in next to Temari and addressed his brother. Gaara looked at them silently and glanced at Emiko.

"Temari, you're going to Konoha in a week for the Chuunin Exams," Gaara confirmed. She nodded.

"In that case, I want to go on a mission before the week is over, and a hard mission at that," Emiko said pointedly and looked to the red-head who exhaled quietly.

"Temari can't go on the mission since she is involved with the exams. There is a B-rank mission available," the Kazekage handed the papers to everyone and began reading the mission summary as well. Emiko watched her friend's frown deepen and nodded when he looked up again.

"Gaara-sama," Baki entered the room and bowed respectfully to the Kazekage. Kankuro grinned.

"Good timing, Gaara just assigned us a mission," Kankuro took off his hood and ran a hand through his hair haphazardly. Baki sighed and added 'approved' in a dull voice. Emiko caught Gaara's look and steered Temari and Kankuro out of the room.

The kunoichi with orange hair leaned against the wall coolly. Temari was somewhat peeved that she couldn't go on the mission and was pouting. Kankuro took this opportunity to tease her as he usually did.

"Don't be mad Temari, after all you'll see Shikamaru in a couple of days," Kankuro said with a barely concealed snicker. Temari blushed and smacked Kankuro with her fan. He yelped and put his hood back on, and mumbling something like 'protection from hormonal sister'. Emiko ignored the two siblings and stared out onto Suna and the desert.

_This will be an interesting mission. Bunch of shinobi to fight, it'll be good to get out of Suna for a little bit. Yet Gaara looked worried, when he actually shows his emotions, it's obvious he's feeling it strongly. It's only in the Bird country so he shouldn't be so nervous about the distance, so what is he worried about?_

Said person walked out of the Kazekage office with Baki, who was speaking low and quickly. The red-head nodded, and his old teacher ran off.

"What was that about?" Temari asked as soon as the man left. Kankuro shook his head and scowled at his sister.

"Don't be so nosy Temari," he retorted and yelped as she whipped her fan out again. Emiko sighed and walked ahead of them with Gaara, she was worried about him. He looked tense and his jaw was clenched. The orange-haired girl patted his hand inconspicuously; he noticed this and looked at his friend irritably. She shrugged and decided it would be best to leave him alone.


	18. Chapter 18: Piecing the Past Together

**Hello again! Thanks to all the reviews. I got a massive attack of the warm fuzzy feelings. I went Ino-style and started shouting stuff. Okay… **

**Mello-ness (muahahah a new nickname!) – Fuzzy feelings! I feel your pain of daytime TV. I never did understand the yelling thing either. What happened to a ninja's secrecy is the most important part of attacking? **

**Moose! - I like that nickname too. You'll see what the mission has in store, there's suspense in chapter 17! **

**Me: JIRAIYA! Get out here, you Legendary Sannin, you!**

**Jiraiya: Aww, I'm busy researching! **

**Me: Gah, are you serious? I won't bother your "research" if you say the disclaimer!**

**Jiraiya: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto, and I guarantee you that I won't show up in this story! Bathing ladies, here I come!**

**Me: You are scary…**

* * *

"**Even the branch families are hated, Izumi! We'll be killed if we are found, even if my husband finds out, he'll kill me!" the dark-haired woman shook her sister's shoulders.**

**"Hai Kasumi-chan, I know. But I will be glad if my musume gets our gift," the older woman replied calmly. Kasumi gave a small shriek and her livid expression grew all the more twisted. **

**"How can you say such stupid things? If the village or even our families find out about it, **_**we will die!**_** If my son… no it can't happen to him, he'll never have this stupid curse. Haku will never have this blood, he won't. He won't!" Kasumi began to sob as Izumi rubbed her back sympathetically. The two women were clearly related, with dark grey eyes and lean figures. They were both wearing a loop of fabric around their necks. The only noticeable difference between the two was the color of their hair. Kasumi had dark, almost black hair, and Izumi had dark orange hair. **

**They didn't notice the little girl behind the screen who had listened in to their conversation. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her round face was wrinkled in a frown. She had no idea of what they were talking about, but it didn't sound good. The boy behind her made a small anxious noise and pulled at her arm a little. She let herself be led outside to the field. The little girl fiddled with her hands. **

"**Haku onii-san, what was oka-san talking about?" The boy shrugged and pulled back his dark hair. The girl stroked the fabric around her neck: she and her cousin wore the same collar much like their mothers. **

Emiko jerked upright and gasped for breath. She looked around to see Gaara sitting against the wall staring at her.

"What happened?" he said slowly. She was still surprised to see Gaara in her room. _That was a strange dream. But how did he know I was having one? Was I making noises loud enough for him to hear me outside? Shimatta. _The girl put her head in her hands.

"My past, I think. Something about branch families and being killed because of their blood," Emiko breathed out noisily and furrowed her eyebrows while touching the fabric on her neck. These memories were starting to get on her nerves; it was such little information and she had to piece her past together. Yet as she tried to recall the dream, the less she remembered. It was like water pouring through her fingers.

Gaara closed his eyes and pondered the memory. It wasn't completely uncommon for clans to start wars with other clans, it happened quite often actually. With the exception of Suna and Konoha, Emiko could be from anywhere. They needed more information. There was a library in Suna, and it was said to be one of the best in all the hidden villages, there could be something helpful there. Gaara considered this half-heartedly; it wouldn't be easy to try to find a book about a specific clan they knew so little about.

"Rest now," The red-head said briefly before walking outside to the balcony. Emiko sighed quietly and positioned herself comfortably against the pillow.

He paused before going outside and looked at the sleeping figure. His brief infatuation with Sakura had ended, and he believed that Shukaku was a little more present in his feelings toward her. The demon inside of him could make Gaara feel more intensely than he actually did and had the tendency to do so. But now the feelings for Sakura had left, and she would be an acquaintance and nothing more.

He took a deep breath and he could sense that strange smell on Emiko. He climbed up onto the roof and his web of thoughts became somewhat tangled as he tried to figure out what the scent was. Gaara blinked and he realized what it was. The smell was like the rain, or the ocean.


	19. Chapter 19: The Older Brother

**Gomen about the short chapter, but it's to build suspense. I keep laughing evilly when I read the reviews, I enjoy being sadistic too much…. By the way, FRENCH TOAST! Anyways, onto the chapter! **

**Me: Ummm, who today? I know who! SUIGETSU! Hey, it rhymes!**

**Suigetsu: Yo TheContheDistance**

**Me: Hey, have you been bugging Karin lately? **

**Suigetsu: Yep, it was fun! What did you want me here for?**

**Me: Even though you won't show up in this story, can you say the disclaimer?**

**Suigetsu: Ugh, alright! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. I'm going to go and bug Karin now. Ja ne!**

* * *

"We're leaving in a couple of hours. And Temari and Sakura are leaving in two days," she said quietly. The red-head standing next to her looked paler than usual and his face was drawn back. Emiko could see the muscle in his jaw sticking out. He was worried. Gaara looked at her, and his body tensed. The orange-haired girl crinkled her eyes and gave a small smile. She hugged him. The hug was for comfort, and nothing more. This time, though, it seemed different, it seemed like she was saying goodbye to him.

"If it takes more than three days you are supposed to go to Konoha for the exams," the red-head muttered through her hair. Emiko blinked at this and frowned.

"I thought I had a choice between staying here and going back to Konoha," she whispered. Gaara could feel her body tense a little.

"The Fifth Hokage wants you in Konoha for the exams. You have a choice afterwards."

Emiko closed her eyes and sighed a little. He leaned back to be able to take in her features. She was pretty in the moonlight, ragged looking as usual, but she looked softer at night. The red-head ignored the thoughts from the demon inside of him. He didn't need Shukaku right now; he didn't want to destroy what could be the last time with his friend.

Emiko leaned her head against Gaara's shoulder. He always managed to surprise her with his leniency towards physical contact. She could only suppose that he craved it after so much of his life being isolated, she knew she did.

"Don't forget me." Emiko took her head off his shoulder to look at him. The Gaara's stoic expression crumbled. His eyes glowed and his features seemed clear. And for the first time, it felt like he was really expressing how he was feeling.

"I won't,"

He kissed her. Emiko blinked as he moved his face away from hers. She looked completely bewildered. She mumbled incoherently. She finally managed to get one sentence out. Meanwhile, Gaara himself looked away and his face flushed.

"Why did you do that?" The girl stopped. _That was a stupid question. Why do people kiss people?! They like them! Wait… does that mean he likes me? I am an idiot. And now the moment is ruined. Way to go Emiko, you baka. _She shook her head and waved off the question. Gaara pulled her arm a little and they sat down next to each other. She reached down and intertwined her fingers with his. She touched his thumb gently. He smiled, making Emiko smile wider. She wished that she could be held by him. _I sound like such a fan girl when I think this way. _

She felt a little push on her head, and turned to see a little bit of sand nudging her head toward Gaara. Emiko made a noise that sounded like a giggle and rested her head on his shoulder.

An hour passed in happy silence. They felt so content just to be there, together and with each other, nothing more to it. The red-head felt a little pain in his chest to think that he wasn't going to see her for about two weeks. Two weeks without any of his friends or siblings.

"Emiko," Said person opened her eyes. She loved how he said her name, how she could open her eyes to see his. She rubbed her head with her free hand.

"You need to rest." Emiko smiled at Gaara and left, not wanting to ruin the happy moment by arguing. He watched her leave into her room.

………………………………………………………………..

The orange-haired girl smiled. She could feel heat on her cheeks that didn't come from the sun but from her thoughts. Kankuro raised his eyebrows at his friend's strange happiness. _What the heck made her so happy? She said goodbye to everyone and seemed pretty happy, but that's not the reason why she's blushing. Wait…Emiko and Gaara came downstairs together! It could be a coincidence, but they are really close. And Gaara has been acting a lot less homicidal lately; actually he has been completely normal. He wants her around constantly. Heh, so that's what's going on! _

"Is there something going on between you and my brother?" Kankuro snapped Emiko out of her happy thoughts. She felt her face grow hotter. _He didn't need to be so blunt about it._ She mumbled something incoherent. Kankuro stopped walking to burst out laughing. Then he ran up to Emiko and put his arm around her head tightly.

"Oi! Let go of me!" she yelled. Kankuro was too busy laughing his head off and ruffling her hair to block Emiko's punch to his stomach. He rolled to the ground and scowled at her. Emiko, smirking, leaned over him and flicked his nose.

"Ow!" She walked away not bothering to fix up her hair.

"If we are going to be traveling together for a while, let's try not to kill each other, spitty," Kankuro grumbled. Emiko raised one eyebrow at this new nickname.

"It's going to be less than a day if we run," she responded calmly. They kept walking through the desert as Kankuro thought of a different way to start a conversation.

"So how long have you and my little brother been 'together'?" Kankuro struggled to control his laughter. Emiko looked toward him, her expression remaining emotionless. He was only a year older than her, yet he was taller than Temari. She frowned.

"Wouldn't Temari be asking this?"

"She doesn't know yet,"

"You aren't going to tell her," the girl turned her head to face Kankuro. She glared menacingly but Kankuro just shrugged it off. _I am definitely going to tell Temari all about this! _


	20. Chapter 20: The Trap

**Hey everyone. Sorry about the wait, my internet connection got messed up. I just wanted to let you know, you are about half-way through the story… for now. I still haven't finished typing it out on Word. And my punctuation sucks, sorry! And without further ado-**

**Juugo: Wait, you haven't said the disclaimer yet! **

**Me: Hehehe whoops! You want to say it?**

**Juugo: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. And it's a shame that I won't show up in this story. Ja ne.**

* * *

"Alright, here we are, the Bird Country. I suppose we should just keep alert for the Jounin who is supposed to brief us," A man scurried over to Kankuro as he said this. His face fell when he saw who it was… or more like who it wasn't.

"I thought Sabaku no Gaara and his team would come on this mission," the shinobi began snobbishly. Emiko's hand twitched and her frown deepened. She really wanted to tell this guy off, he was acting like a real prick. She opened her mouth to retort but found she didn't need to.

"Listen you, Gaara is the Kazekage and you should address him with respect. He wouldn't waste his time here on some pathetic mission, he's the leader of Suna, and he doesn't chase after a group of numb nuts who your lame shinobi can't handle! As for you hoping he'd be here, he's not a circus act. Gaara isn't a show to you assholes. You're lucky to have us here, because we're just as good as him," Kankuro glared at the visibly frightened man.

"Stop being pathetic. Tell us our mission, and we'll be done before you know it," he spat at the scared Jounin.

Emiko smirked inwardly; she had to admit she liked how Kankuro said the exact right thing sometimes. The man grumbled defiantly but handed out the briefing folder.

"There have been a small group of ninjas that have been committing crimes for quite some time. Our police and shinobi didn't stand a chance against them. That's why you are here," he stated warily. Kankuro nodded for him to continue.

"We got inside information on them, so they will be by the clock tower tonight. You should get there when the sun sets, and be prepared; these aren't regular shinobi."

With that said, the Jounin scurried away to do something else.

Emiko and Kankuro walked around the tiny village to find a hotel. Once they got to their rooms he turned to Emiko.

"I think that guy was a little off," he said darkly. The girl sat down on a chair and brought her knees to her chest.

"Aa, he's troublesome. What do you think is going to happen tonight?" she replied irritably. _Ninjas are so irritating sometimes. Everything has to be so complicated if you're smarter and stronger than average. _Kankuro sighed and leaned down on the bed and took off his hood so he could scratch his head.

"It's probably an ambush of some sort, or maybe more than 'just a group' of shinobi that's there. Baka yarrow, stupid enough to think he could trick us." He scowled at the ceiling.

"We should get ready," Emiko said standing up and stretching. Kankuro grinned and began inspecting his puppets. She grabbed her kunais and shuriken and put them in the pouch. Emiko dusted off her clothes and wrapped her thigh with bandages and attached the holster. The orange-haired girl looked up to see the sun setting in the sky. The boy beside her paused to look out the window then turned back to placing weapons in his puppet.

…………………………………….

Emiko took in her surroundings silently on the rooftop. The group of shinobi should be at the clock tower any minute now. There was a river running next to the road without any bridges over it. _If these shinobi are pathetic, we'll just be able to drown them. But that's not going to happen. And there isn't much to work with here. But then again, we don't need much, Kankuro has his puppets and I got taijutsu. So then, let's see this attack. _

"Something's wrong."

She looked warily at Kankuro and nodded. It was well past midnight already, and there had been no sign of anyone. Her back stiffened. _Kuso._ The girl turned around slowly. _Oh shit. Shit, shit shit! That's a lot of shinobi._

There were at least thirty shinobi standing behind her and Kankuro. He turned around scowling at the massive amount of shinobi. He shook his head sadly.

"Man, I knew it," the puppeteer groaned. The girl and boy smirked to each other and jumped off the roof.

The shinobi ran forward and jumped down in front of them.

"Wow! Thirty shinobi to fight me and Emiko! I feel special, don't you? Not that they will be much of a challenge," Kankuro sneered. Emiko turned to give them a glare that even intimidated her comrade. He looked at her nervously as he felt a strange coldness emanating from her. _Since when has she become full of hatred and murderous intent?_

The girl took out her kunai while Kankuro got out Karasu and Kurori. The men in front of them snickered and brought out various swords and shuriken.

"Ready for this?!" The puppeteer grinned. Emiko smirked and thrust her weapon in front of herself.

The shinobi ran forward as Emiko started throwing weapons at an unbelievable speed. A couple of men fell under the puppets' hidden weapons already. The orange-haired girl then came running towards a man that was separated from the rest of the group. She aimed a punch which he caught and she twisted herself around to kick him and he blocked it with his other hand. Emiko than brought down her kunai with as much force as she could at his neck. A little spurt of blood flew on her face as the ninja crumpled.

Two shinobi came forward and she grabbed more shuriken and kunai. Emiko jumped back and threw the weapons at the shinobi, who quickly used body substitution. The orange-haired girl ground her teeth and spun around to block the attack the two had thrown. The weapons cut her arm and stomach; she winced, then darted toward them. A third ninja came up and before she could react, kicked her up. _Kuso! There's too many of them and more are surrounding me._ Emiko twisted her body and aimed her leg down at them. The man below grinned.

"Do you think I'm stupid?!" he grabbed her leg and she flew her fist into his face.

"I would think that would be a 'yes'," she smirked as she jumped back and threw a shuriken toward him. He dodged it and spat the blood leaking from his mouth on the ground. The star he dodged flew into the back of another man's head. Three more men surrounded her. She gnashed her teeth again and a slow mist began to spread over the ground. _Shimatta we have someone with a water jutsu. Kuso. _She dodged a couple of punches and narrowly missed pulling out someone's eye. _My head feels weird. Is there poison in the weapons?_ Emiko shook the fuzzy feeling from her head and kept fighting the shinobi. She could feel her body wanting to use the jutsu to let it go free. The girl jumped back and landed on the river behind her. She ran to a sharp rock in the strong currents of the river

Kankuro was having an easier time than she was. Granted he was still busy with at least twenty men. The girl blinked. She was dealing with twenty men herself, so more must have come. Emiko took a deep breath and made the standard seal. She kept her eyes open this time and watched the men warily. They walked on the water and regarded her location irritably. She was standing in the middle of heavy current in the river, if they made a mistake, the current could easily drag them under. The shinobi didn't see the rock she was standing on.

Emiko's eyes felt strange too. She was letting her body go and it started to buzz in that familiar way, but her eyes felt like they had changed as well. The grey eyes seemed more focused and clear. She closed them and breathed.

"Ninpou: Water Element: Explosion no Jutsu!"


	21. Chapter 21: The Kekkai Genkai

**So since there has already been twenty chapters (is it just me but holy crap!) I'm going to be making the chapters longer, probably a good idea. Anyways here's the next chapter. **

**Emiko: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. **

* * *

Emiko opened her eyes as a huge pillar of water came roaring at the shinobi on the river. They looked terrified and tried to move out of the way. She clenched her teeth and barely recognized that her hand was guiding the wave towards the shinobi. The pillar of water swelled and crashed into the throng of men. She clenched her fist, completely absorbed into the fight.

Blood splattered everywhere. The girl's eyes widened. Kankuro stopped fighting now that all the enemies were impaled by large spikes of ice. Emiko found her throat dry. _How did this happen?_ She looked down at her blood stained hands. _Did I do this? How?_ Kankuro walked over to her, his eyes never leaving the dome of icy spikes. He laughed dryly to himself. _The Bird shinobi are going to have to clean this up themselves._

"Why are there rings around your pupils?" Kankuro noticed the change in her appearance. Emiko opened her mouth but no sound came out. She gulped, and kept looking at her hands that were splattered in red. She suddenly balled her hands into fists. _I realize this now. From my dream, the clan that was hated and feared. It was for their abilities. This… this must be the reason. I can manipulate water. I have a kekkai genkai._

The girl smirked and gently pushed Kankuro out of the way. Her eyes still had the funny feeling and apparently a circle now encompassed her pupil. Her body was still trembling gently from excitement. She held out her hands that were still fisted. Emiko imagined her chakra lined in the ice and set her mind to letting the chakra flow out, like a river. She set her mind to letting the ice become water again and flowing back into the river. The girl closed her eyes and focused all her chakra. She could feel wetness on her toes.

"Whoa… since when could you do that?" Kankuro said with his mouth open. She opened her eyes to see that some of the ice had turned back into liquid and was now heading towards the river. Emiko took a deep breath and relaxed her body and closed her eyes again._ Like water, flowing like a river. Not set in a solid, flowing, and moving. _She concentrated as hard as she possibly could on making the ice into water again.

The girl choked and fell on her hands and knees. She could feel water up to her wrists heading toward the river from where it came. Emiko coughed up blood as she could feel Kankuro put his hand on her back. Then blackness came.

…………………………………………………………………

There was harsh light pressing down on her eyelids when the orange-haired girl came to. She heard muffled whispers. Emiko touched the roof of her mouth with her tongue and moved her hands under the cotton blankets covering her. _Hospital, again? Must be, I can smell the anti-septic. Why am I here then?_ She closed her hands and opened to her eyes to see people surrounding her.

"Oi! She's awake!" Kankuro grinned and tugged on one of Temari's pigtails. She automatically punched him, but then realized her friend was awake.

"Hey Emiko!" she grinned and waved. Next to her stood a boy in Chuunin uniform and a ponytail, he looked like he would rather be anywhere other than here. Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were on the other side of the hospital bed. The pink-haired girl squealed and waved while the Jounin crinkled his visible eye.

Emiko closed her eyes and inclined her head.

"How are you feeling?" Kakashi-sensei surprised the girl with this statement. It was strange to think that he was even remotely concerned about her health after knowing her for such a short time. She furrowed her eyebrows all the same.

"…What happened?" Everyone, with the exception of the Chuunin, turned to look at Kankuro curiously. He scratched his head and mumbled something along the lines 'didn't do anything'. He cleared his throat.

"Well, you passed out after taking all those guys out with that water jutsu," Emiko blinked and she suddenly remembered. _That jutsu could have not been a kekkai genkai. It's highly unlikely actually; I probably remembered an old jutsu. If I had a kekkai genkai, I would have known by now. _All present looked at Emiko curiously. Kakashi-sensei had a thoughtful look on his face. He brought out a piece of paper and handed it to the girl, who gave him a quizzical look.

"I want you to try to focus your chakra to that slip of paper. I am interested in seeing what will happen," he said simply. The girl did as he said; keeping in mind she'd ask more questions later.

The paper became drenched and water poured onto the hospital blankets. Emiko frowned as the paper neatly split in half. Kakashi-sensei looked satisfied and he took the paper and threw it away. As the girl opened her mouth he quickly cut her off.

"I think its best that Kankuro tells us what the jutsu was like. I had a feeling about this," the silver-haired shinobi said as calmly as ever. Kankuro shrugged and proceeded to explain the water jutsu.

"Well I was fighting those shinobi, and there were enough to take up my entire attention span," Temari snorted at this, earning her a quick glare, "And suddenly I heard this noise, like a wave crashing. I found that all the shinobi we were fighting being hit by a huge column of water. Then the water crashed onto them and froze into spikes, gutting all our enemies."

Sakura looked down at the ground. She vaguely remembered a mission, one of the first missions she had with Team 7, the mission with the bridge-builder, Tazuna.

The medic balled her hands into fists. She suddenly remembered Haku, the boy who almost killed both Sasuke and Naruto. Haku, the boy who could manipulate ice, and gave up his life for Zabuza.

Kakashi-sensei noticed Sakura's actions and understood that she remembered.

"This slip of paper was treated to react with chakra. Based on the reaction the paper gives, I can tell you what your elemental chakra nature is. The paper became wet which signifies your predominate chakra nature; water. Then it split in two, which reveals your other chakra nature; wind. If there are two chakra natures, they create a kekkai genkai.

I have fought against someone who displayed the same style of jutsu as you. He could manipulate water and could turn it into ice. The boy, Haku, certainly did have a kekkai genkai, and what he did parallels the jutsus you performed."

Emiko exhaled and closed her eyes. _So it is a kekkai genkai then. I don't know whether to be overjoyed or miserable. This kekkai genkai must the reason for my clan's prosecution, the branch families and the main family. It seemed like that from that dream I had. Those dreams are memories though, so this all makes sense. The puzzle is coming together. _

"It was the first time I did that, I think," Emiko said slowly. Kakashi-sensei nodded, not portraying the complicated web of thoughts in his head. He was now slightly wary of this girl; she was a powerful kunoichi, with plenty of speed and reflexes. Now, she had a powerful kekkai genkai to back her up. Sakura and Naruto should do well not to anger Emiko.

"If this is your first time using your kekkai genkai, it makes sense how long you were out. Anyway, I believe that this kekkai genkai originated in the Hidden Mist Village. That said: it is probably where you are from," Kakashi-sensei leaned against the wall and took out Icha Icha Violence. Everyone remained silent and thoughtful. Emiko clenched her jaw. _Hidden Mist? It makes… sense. I don't want to go back there though, especially if everyone wants to kill me because of this ability. At least, according to my dream, everyone would want me dead. _


	22. Chapter 22: The Lunch

**I am so sorry about the wait. My internet has been on the fritz and it still isn't fixed yet. Sorry again. Thanks for all the reviews as usual, I got a major attack of the warm fuzzies. **

**Me: Ino, get out here.**

**Ino: Hey you can't boss me around, ugly!**

**Me: Gah, you are so annoying. Just say the freaking disclaimer.**

**Ino: Hmph, TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. Oh, is that Sai-kun? SAI-KUN!**

* * *

Emiko sat up and pulled the IV from her arm. Sakura frowned and grumbled about how she wished she would stop doing that. Kankuro and Temari watched nervously as she limped to the neat pile of clothes. She stumbled a little, causing them to jump forward. Emiko held up her hand, scowling and walked to the bathroom to change. The boy with the ponytail simply walked out of the room, leaving a disgruntled Temari behind.

Twenty minutes later the teenagers were all walking toward a restaurant for something to eat. Kakashi-sensei had left eagerly; Sakura guessed he didn't want his "Icha-Icha" to be interrupted. Sakura and Kankuro walked next to each other and chatted about random things while the boy with the lazy attitude and Temari had a strange half argument, half conversation.

"You are a troublesome woman," the Chuunin said dully. He sighed and looked at the sky while he kept walking.

"Don't be such a lazy bum, Shikamaru. Try to be polite once and a while, I mean introduce yourself for Kami's sake! She's our friend!" Temari grabbed the boy's shoulder and dragged him toward Emiko.

"I feel like I'm already married," he sighed again. The blonde smacked his shoulder tartly. Emiko raised her eyebrows; they were amusing to say the least.

"It's good practice for it then!" Temari snapped. The boy stuck out his hand.

"This is a drag, I'm Shikamaru," he grumbled. Emiko almost laughed, but she shook his hand anyway. She looked Temari, who turned pink. _So this is Shikamaru, the lazy genius. Temari has a crush on him, it's pretty obvious they like each other._

"I'm Emiko."

"Uh-huh."

"By the way Emiko, the Hokage wanted to see you again. Tell her, Shikamaru."

"She wanted me to accompany you to her office as soon as you're ready. This is such a pain; women are becoming more troublesome by the second."

Temari made an indignant noise and stuck her nose in the air.

"It's pathetic when you try to be all manly. I've saved your life at least twice already! Besides, I've never seen you actually win a battle, you're always giving up. You are such a bum, Shikamaru!"

At this the Chuunin hung his head and sighed loudly. _She reminds me of my mom so much that it scares me. I wonder what __**her**__ 'good moments' are. _The group of shinobi walked into the Korean Barbeque restaurant. A very large boy with brown-red hair walked up to them and grinned.

"Hey Shikamaru. I thought you weren't going to meet us up here. Ino is having a fit about it, she's in the bathroom right now, but you know her temper…"

Temari scowled at this.

"Hey Chouji," Shikamaru sighed and jerked his thumb toward the group behind him, "Nah, I ran into some old friends."

"Is it okay if we join team 10's lunch?" He continued gesturing to everyone again. Chouji grinned at everyone and gave them a thumbs up. Sakura and Kankuro were now teasing each other about their hair. Emiko raised one eyebrow at them before sitting down next to Chouji. Temari and Shikamaru sat down quickly before there was a shrill scream.

"FOREHEAD!!" a blonde girl jumped out of the girl's bathroom and charged at the pink-haired medic who looked completely terrified. Sakura doubled over laughing as Ino started a slow jog toward her once rival.

"INO-_PIG_!" the girl screeched at the blonde, who then stamped her foot and stuck out her tongue. Everyone except the two girls sweat-dropped. Emiko dragged her hand down her face and shook her head.

"Guys… I mean girls!" Kankuro screamed, "Just sit down and we can eat!"

He sighed and sank down next to his sister. Temari rolled her eyes at the two men beside her who were taking turns sighing. Emiko shrugged and waited for the two gossiping girls to sit down. Apparently, they had no intention of doing so, considering it took a fairly loud cough from Temari to get them out of their high-pitched chattering. Sakura's face flushed to match her hair and she sat down next to Kankuro.

"So who are you?" Ino demanded as she saw the only place empty was next to the orange-haired girl. Emiko looked at the blonde without turning her head. _This must be the Ino that Sakura told me about a while ago. The Uchiha fan girl as well as local gossip, I don't like her already._

"You should try to be polite when talking to other people," Emiko said a little too evenly. She almost smirked when she saw the expected reaction. Ino opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Then a clear look of triumph flew onto her features as she thought of a come-back.

"Well why should I be polite to someone so unworthy of manners?"

Emiko felt her hand twitch a little and she remembered to keep her cool front. _It won't get me anywhere to start off on a fight that is not worth my time. Besides she'll be annoyed when she sees that I don't react to stupid come-backs._

"Hey Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji. I see you brought guests."

The orange-haired girl bit back a sneeze. A man was standing in front of them smoking and ignoring the coughing spells people around the restaurant were having. Shikamaru and Chouji grinned. Ino pumped her fist.

"Asuma-sensei!"

Emiko cringed inwardly at Ino's voice. Asuma sat down next to Kankuro leaving Ino no choice but to sit next to the strange girl. She pouted and crossed her arms as she sat down.

"Chouji, you better not eat all the food this time!" the blonde snapped at her teammate who looked hurt.

"You're always on a diet Ino; you wait until there is the last piece left. And the last piece is the most valuable," Chouji replied importantly, like he was teaching her a life lesson. Kankuro and Temari raised their eyebrows and quietly stifled their laughter. Team 10 was well used to this lecture and ignored it.

"So, Sand shinobi ne?" Asuma looked around the table before he gave the orange-haired girl a quick glance, "I don't believe you're a Sand though."

Emiko nodded, and felt the blonde next to her suddenly tense and listen.

"I'm Emiko. I believe I am from the Hidden Mist Village, though I'm not certain."

Asuma raised his eyebrows: it wasn't every day someone from the Bloody Mist came to Konoha. What she said troubled him, but he ignored those thoughts and turned back to the rest of the group.

"So why are we meeting up, Asuma-sensei?" Shikamaru looked dully at his teacher as he put out a cigarette.

"Don't we meet up weekly?" Shikamaru shrugged, and nodded.

The Sand and Konoha shinobi quickly began to talk. Emiko stared at the window and felt her heart press against her rib cage. _I miss him already. This sucks. _Temari looked at her friend, concern flashing in her eyes before she tuned into Shikamaru's conversation.

Asuma ordered food enough for ten people and Chouji grinned happily. The orange-haired girl suddenly snapped out of her sulking and listened to Chouji, Asuma, and Shikamaru talk.

"Well you know you guys can get a lot farther if you start focusing on the right things."

"It's too much to work and achieve something."

"Shikamaru, you really are a lazy bum!" Temari cut in and smacked Shikamaru's head. Chouji laughed, but Asuma looked thoughtful.

"She is right, Shikamaru. You would do well to listen to her. Chouji, you too can try training more and eating less. You all could make it to Jounin," Asuma offered genially. Shikamaru shrugged at this and Temari beamed at his sensei.

A waiter placed two sizzling plates in front of the group. Chouji grinned again, dimples forming on his cheeks, as he pulled his chopsticks apart. Ino's head snapped in his direction as she tried to beat him to the food. They were both beaten by Temari who had whipped out her chopsticks and quickly caught the first piece of meat. Chouji, Sakura and Ino gasped, and Asuma's eyebrows hit his hairline. Shikamaru looked at Temari as if he had never seen her before. Kankuro grinned, taking advantage of everyone's lack of attention he snatched more meat.

Ino and Sakura gave Chouji a terrified glance: he had never been bested when it came to eating. The round boy seemed to inflate and he suddenly attacked the sizzling pan with ferocity.

Asuma and Shikamaru sighed, the latter put his head in his hand. It seemed only minutes later the pan was completely devoured. Everyone's face fell in disappointment.


	23. Chapter 23: The Hokage's Decision

**Righto. Well here is the next chapter. As always I loved reading the reviews, and now the breakfast food fight has started up again. Yay! Thanks for the compliments, Moose-y (wow that sounds weird), Mello-ness, MioneRocks, Readerfreak10, and StarChaser37. I know it's filler-y evilness, but we are now entering the last arc of this story. So let's bring out the disclaimer!**

**Me: Chouji!**

**Chouji: Ino?**

**Me: Gah! No way! Anyways, before you assume I'm anyone else-**

**Chouji: Sakura?**

**Me: God damn it, no! I don't cry! Yeesh! Just say the disclaimer before you think I'm someone else like-**

**Chouji: Kurenai-sensei?**

**Me: Gah I knew it! Just say the disclaimer!**

**Chouji: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. **

* * *

Emiko smirked, broke her chopsticks apart and snatched up a carrot from the pan that everyone forgot about. Sakura and Ino only gaped at the girl.

Then everyone seemed to hurl their chopsticks toward the pan. The pink and blonde started to race their chopsticks to the food. Kankuro smirked as he attached chakra strings to Ino's arms and made her spoon-feed him. Temari curled her lip in disgust and punched him. Then the siblings both launched toward the plate. Chouji was easily in the lead. He had already taken at least half of the meat and was working on defending the rest. Asuma shot his arm through Chouji's blind spot and achieved some vegetables. Shikamaru yawned and waited for the barbeque-hysteria to calm down.

Asuma leaned back in his chair and grinned. The pan was scraped clean. Ino and Sakura pouted as Temari and Kankuro high-fived each other on stealing the food from the girls. Chouji was battling with his emotions; he took most of the food from both pans as well as having the last bite, but alas, he was still hungry. Shikamaru yawned and planned on getting something later if he didn't fall asleep first… _I should probably invite Temari, even if it is a drag. _He looked at the sky, which was steadily turning orange.

"We should probably go meet the Hokage now," the boy yawned and leaned his cheek on his hand. The girl he was addressing looked at him and nodded. Ino got out of the booth quickly and smirked as she placed her foot in front of Emiko's outstretched leg. _This is gonna work! She's gonna trip and fall on her face! _To Ino's dismay, the orange-haired girl merely looked at her coldly.

"Unless you want a trip to the hospital, I _suggest_ you move your foot."

Everyone looked at them curiously. Ino's mouth twitched and she balled her hands into fists. This girl needed to be taught a lesson about respect, big time. She reluctantly withdrew her foot. Emiko slowly slipped out of the booth. Kankuro, Sakura and Temari all got out letting Shikamaru through.

Asuma started to talk to Kankuro and Temari. Ino walked up to Emiko and leaned in close to her ear. Emiko didn't shift away from her and held her ground.

"You're in for it," she hissed. The girl smirked slightly in response. Ino gulped as she felt a sharp pressure on her stomach. She stiffened and a dark tension seemed to radiate from the two. Sakura and Shikamaru noticed this and saw what was making Ino on edge.

There was a kunai held at her stomach, but was quickly placed back into Emiko's holster. Ino leaned back, her face was pale but she looked defiant. Sakura looked nervously at both of her friends.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I couldn't agree more."

Ino glared at Emiko and walked away in a huff while Sakura followed her. Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at the comment the orange-haired girl made. He looked bored, but his quick mind had already interpreted the difficult situation.

_Ino is troublesome and hates Emiko. Being around Ino is a drag, so she is troublesome. But Emiko agrees with me that Ino is troublesome. That means that Emiko is being troublesome because of Ino. Ino is troublesome and if Emiko agrees with me, Ino will be more troublesome. They will be more troublesome together than when they are not. So now Ino will be more troublesome then usual. Emiko is making Ino more difficult so she is troublesome as well…… Girls are troublesome._

He scowled as they got out of the restaurant. The setting sun cast their shadows long and thin as they walked to the Hokage building. It was a thoroughly uncomfortable silence, but neither shinobi felt like talking. What's more, Emiko felt something strange and did not like it. She narrowed her eyes a little and felt her body start to tense. _Something is not right here. Someone's following us? Relax… relax… no sense in getting worked up and worrying. If there is a danger, it will make itself known. _Despite her body remaining loose and her expression calm, Emiko couldn't shake the foreboding feeling at the pit of her stomach. It left a sour taste in her mouth and made her scowl. Her temporarycompanion didn't notice and busied himself with looking at the violet and blood red clouds. The girl adjusted the mesh at her elbows and the fabric holding her hair back while she thought. _If I stay up tonight, I could figure out if there is someone following me or not. For all I know, he could be after Shikamaru… or Temari or Kankuro. He could be after Gaara. If that's the case I'll have the pleasure of taking them out myself. Besides, I've been feeling strange since I've woken up, the need to fight is getting out of control. Tonight will be interesting if I am correct. _

The shinobi walked up the stairs to the office and Shikamaru knocked.

"Come in."

Emiko walked in calmly and arranged her face to a less suspicious expression. The Hokage was sitting at her desk and as usual the disarray of papers littering the floor around and the hastily organized two piles on the top of the desk seemed huge. Tsunade-sama looked up, her large eyes brighter and happier than usual. Shikamaru didn't seem to notice. Emiko restrained her eyebrow from lifting up and kept her expression neutral. The Hokage discreetly put the sake away and interlaced her fingers, suddenly serious.

"Emiko…" The girl met the Hokage's gaze. Of course, Tsunade-sama knew about her kekkai genkai, it was practically her job to know. But the Hokage wanted to hear about it from Emiko herself, to see what she knew about herself. Emiko felt her hand twitch, she didn't respond for a couple minutes.

"On a B-rank mission in Suna, I, along with another Sand shinobi, fought against 3 dozen men. I did a jutsu, one that involved water manipulation, and I killed all the enemy shinobi. I fell unconscious, and I assume that my team mate had carried me here."

The blonde woman nodded for her to continue. Shikamaru turned his head fully to the window and started watching the clouds, completely tuning out the conversation.

"When I came to, my teammate told Kakashi-sensei what happened. He believes the jutsu I did was Hyouton kekkai genkai, I believe I had just activated it then. He thinks I'm from Hidden Mist."

Tsunade-sama blinked. Emiko suddenly felt a small wave of anger, she bit her tongue. She quickly put both her hands into her pockets, they were shaking. _I feel like I'm some monster everyone's afraid of, some kind of freak. Everyone keeps asking me questions, and everyone wants my life story. I don't need to be taken care of; I've spent my entire life that way already, I managed fine. I'm not out of control, or fragile. So why is everyone acted like I am?_

"What do you _want_ to do?"

Emiko blinked. She was taken aback. _What do I want to do? I hadn't thought of that… I could go back to Suna, and Gaara. Train. Maybe I can become an ANBU someday. Everything is about the future, what do I want to do?._ She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. Tsunade-sama looked over at her knowingly.

"I will tell you what to do for now. You are not to participate in the Chuunin Exams."

For the second time in five minutes the Hokage surprised the girl in front of her. Shikamaru looked away from his window and listened to the conversation. Emiko felt confused: there wasn't a reason to stop her from participating.

"Why not?"

"You don't have a team."

"Hai, what should I do then? I don't want to go back to the Hidden Mist, but I would like to train, maybe help with the Chuunin Exams."

Godaime Hokage looked thoughtfully at her, considering._ Her powers seem fairly unstable right now. I can sense her emotions just underneath the surface. Shizune did me the favor of finding information about the Nigenasai. She has killed a lot, and now she doesn't even remember doing so. She isn't that well-known, but there are rumors of her in the places she's lived. If I were to let her train, I don't feel comfortable without a Jounin or ANBU there supervising her. He should be here soon…_

"I want you to spend your time during the Chuunin Exams helping other Jounins, as well as training. This is all on one condition; you must train with a sensei I will assign you," Tsunade-sama paused then smiled, " and the second condition I will inform you of in a week."

Emiko blinked. _Why not Kakashi-sensei? That's strange. She won't let me help in the Chuunin Exams or participate. At least I can train, even if it is with a new sensei. _

"When should I meet this new sensei?" she asked.

"I'll send someone to get you. It will be soon, within the next couple of days or so. Now you'll have to excuse me, I need to speak to Shikamaru privately."

The girl nodded and walked outside the door. She felt herself make that hand motion and watched the wave-like movement. _Maybe I can apply this to my kekkai genkai. I don't even know the extent of what I can do, can I manipulate both water and ice? Kakashi-sensei spoke of that boy… Haku, was it? Wait…_Emiko's eyes widened as she remembered her dream. Her cousin, the boy with dark hair and dark eyes. _Yes, it was Haku. What happened to him? He and Kakashi-sensei fought. I'm not sure anymore… why is this so complicated?_

Shikamaru walked outside the Hokage's office and watched as the orange-haired girl make weird movements. He sighed and started to walk away. _Girls are so troublesome._


	24. Chapter 24: The Sleeping Arrangements

**Hello! So after reading all the reviews, (aw you made me blush!) A special thanks to Mrs. Moose for the awesome review, as well to my other chronic reviewer Melloness (Do you watch Death Note?) a thanks. I love Shikamaru, he is the bomb. Kakashi, Suigetsu and Sasuke make it into my top favorites as well. Seriously, who can hate Kakashi-sensei?**

**I forgot to respond to one of the reviews earlier. Yes, Emiko could so beat Gaara's sand into a pulp, hehe. Anyways, I imagine the person who would be perfect for her would have their skills matched by hers. To make it a little clearer: Their jutsus and her jutsus, their element and hers, their fighting styles would be at odds. I can't explain things very well so I'll use an example. Water and Fire. Opposites. Granted I believe that one of them is stronger than the other. So if you could explain how they fight you would believe they could end in a stalemate, but in actuality one is better than the other. Wow, I really suck at explaining. If you're confused send me a message. **

**Me: Disclaim-ing time!**

**??: I'll do it! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. And you'll find out who I am, latt-a. **

* * *

"Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage turned away from the window and nodded at the ANBU, who gave a quick bow.

"Nobu, I'm glad you're here." The man gave a 'thumbs up' sign. Tsunade-sama couldn't actually see if he was smiling because of the ANBU mask. There were green dots splattered across the nose of the mask.

"Was that her?"

"Hai, that was the Nigenasai. Am I right in assuming that you were listening in from outside?" Nobu gave a small shrug.

"I might have… overheard some things. I really just saw her leaving."

"Nobu, please take off your mask. It makes me uncomfortable not to see your face,"

The man took off the mask, displaying dark brown eyes and blonde hair. He was young, maybe 25 years old. He had dirty blonde hair that was fairly messy and some-what long. He looked somewhat serious, but as always he was good-natured.

"Nobu, this is a mission that requires a fake identity. You shall now go by Isamu, and your mission is to train the Nigenasai.

… She doesn't seem to know what she has done. I can sense the instability of her powers and her emotional state. You know as well as I do that she has killed quite a few people, yet she has no memory of doing so. Either that or she has not told anyone of doing such things. Isamu, help her understand her limits and control her powers," Tsunade-sama said slowly. She was good at being business-like but at the moment she seemed more tense than usual.

Isamu nodded solemnly, he understood perfectly well the underlying message. If worse came to worse, he'd have to take her down, or maybe even kill her. Doing such missions didn't faze the ANBU; after all he'd done it before. But first he had to test her fighting.

"Kakashi, come in here please," Tsunade-sama called out. Kakashi hopped into the room from the window. He scratched his head apologetically. Isamu gave the Copy Ninja a bow, but Kakashi just shook his head, waving off the honorary bow and winked.

"So you're going to be Emiko's sensei, ne?" The ANBU grinned.

"It's my first student, if she can be called that." Kakashi nodded and looked at Tsunade-sama, who was starting to gulp down sake.

"Hokage-sama, its only three… Isamu, is it? Well when I fought against Emiko, she seemed most likely a Taijutsu user. She is fast and smart, but her strength is below average for a shinobi. I assume that she'll become a Ninjutsu user as well, now that she has re-activated her kekkai genkai. I've never tried Genjutsu on her so I don't know how she handles it."

"Sounds good to me. When should I meet my new student, Tsunade-sama?"

"In two days I'll call her back here. The rest is up to you."

"Good luck, Isamu."

He bowed to both Kakashi and Tsunade-sama and jumped through the open window.

"… He'll need it." Tsunade-sama said quietly.

--

Emiko shoved her hands into her pockets and scowled as Shikamaru yawned yet again. They were walking back from the Hokage's office to hang out at her apartment. Sakura said that they could arrange both of their rooms to fit in the Sand Siblings, although it was going to be a little crowded until Temari and Kankuro found a hotel to stay in.

The girl could feel her hand twitch in irritancy. She had no idea why, but everything made her feel on edge. Her back stiffened and she pricked her ears. _Someone is trying to conceal their chakra. I'm not that great at sensing chakra but they are being too loud for their own good._ Shikamaru just sighed and kept walking. If he noticed there was an enemy following them he didn't show it. Emiko just kept walking, her expression as unreadable as ever. _They are sticking to the trees then. If they are any closer the setting sun will make their shadows more noticeable. That means they aren't stupid, at least. Must be the same person from before, Kami, they are persistent. Nighttime is for fighting, I suppose. I can't let them near Temari and Kankuro though._

"Ja ne, Shikamaru." Emiko stopped in front of her apartment. Shikamaru scratched his head and scowled. She could barely make out the lightest shade of pink on his cheeks.

"Can you tell Temari… I'll see her tomorrow, before the Exam?" Shikamaru forced the sentence out of his mouth. It took more effort than he thought it would. The girl nodded.

"Will do."

"Troublesome. Uh, Ja ne."

Emiko smirked to herself as she climbed up the stairs to her room. The light from the sun was quickly fading, and blue tinted the evening sky. She pushed her door open to find Temari, Kankuro and Sakura sitting on the couch and laughing. Sakura was sitting upside down on the couch with her head dangling off the edge and her feet in the air.

"Hey Emiko-chan!" Sakura grinned, as her face got a shade redder. Emiko sat down on the ground next to Kankuro.

"Temari, Shikamaru wanted to talk to you before the Chuunin Exam."

The blonde's face turned red and she mumbled something incoherent then spoke up.

"So what are we gonna do about the sleeping arrangements?" Temari asked quickly, she tilted her head to the side. Sakura hummed thoughtfully, and Kankuro scratched his head.

"You can sleep in my apartment, Emiko. These guys can take over your room," Sakura shifted herself into an upright position. The orange-haired girl shrugged and nodded. Temari suddenly jumped up.

"I CLAIM BED!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Kankuro's jaw hit the ground. He sat still, just gaping at his sister like she had just run in with a decapitated head and started to dance.

"NO FAIR!" Kankuro bellowed. Temari stuck out her tongue and made a victory sign.

"In your face! Nya! I'm older anyway!"

"What does age have to do with it?!"

"He's right, Temari. If people actually cared about age, Gaara wouldn't be Kazekage!" Sakura giggled.

"SEE?! Pink agrees with me!"

Temari scowled and pouted.

"Sakura, you were _supposed_ to agree with me. You know, girls stick together?" the blonde muttered ungratefully before she rounded on her brother again.

"It doesn't matter anyways, 'cause I claimed the bed!"

Kankuro stuck his jaw out and crossed his arms.

"You suck, Temari."

"Takes one to know one, little brother!" Temari leaned over and ruffled her brother's hair, "I got to get some beauty sleep anyways, you know for… the… uh…-"

Sakura and Kankuro snickered at this. He started singing.

"Temari and Shikamaru are in loooooooooooovvvvveeee! LOOOOOVVVVVVVEE!!"

"QUIET YOU!" the blonde quickly grabbed her fan and smacked her brother with it.

"Since you're not getting beauty sleep for Shikamaru," Emiko smirked, "What are you getting beauty sleep for?"

"Well me and Kankuro have to wake up to meet with Matsu- oh shit," Temari had thought the excuse up quickly then cursed under her breath. The orange-haired girl's hand twitched and her back had gotten very stiff. _Shimatta, why is Matsuri here?! And in their team no less?! _

"She's here, is she?" Emiko replied coolly. Kankuro nodded apprehensively. He had warned Temari not to say anything, but of course she hadn't been there when Emiko and Matsuri faced off so she didn't understand how important it was to keep it quiet.

"She's on your team as well?" Temari nodded, she was nervous now that she saw how her friend was acting. She wasn't trying to tell her about their third team member, but it just slipped out. Temari suddenly understood why Kankuro didn't want her to say anything.

Sakura could see Emiko's knuckles turning white and sighed. She was going to have to play the peacekeeper again.

"Ano Emiko, Temari, Kankuro. Let's go set up everyone's rooms!" the medic broke through the tension. Kankuro let out an audible sigh in relief and Temari flounced over to her temporary bed. Emiko rolled her eyes and followed Sakura.


	25. Chapter 25: The Hint of a Promise

**Hey, Sorry this chapter is so short. I haven't been writing recently and I need to buy more time to get ahead. So anyways…**

**Moose- …. Are you a man? Don't worry about Isamu/Nobu, he's not like Yamato. I don't think Yamato has much of a personality anyway… But Isamu is like Kakashi or Shikamaru to me. He's funny. … I like chocolate chip bagels. **

**Readerfreak10- She seriously is evil, and annoying. But the only hatred I save is for Karin. Whom I hate with a passion.**

**Mello- I already know you're married so that's why I didn't say Mrs. Mello. The screen name is just two of my favorite songs. I don't go the distance, I ain't no Hercules. I hate that Light did that to L, it made me sad. L was awesome. **

**Me: Disclaiming time! Haku!**

**Haku: Hello. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. **

* * *

The orange-haired girl listened to the steady breathing from Sakura's room. Emiko got up silently from the couch. She had insisted that Sakura take her own bed, it didn't seem right for the guest to sleep in a bed. The girl padded without a sound to her friend's room and tried as hard as she could not to make a sound, not even a breath.

Sakura twisted in her sleep and mumbled something incoherent. It was so strange to watch someone else asleep. So caught up in their own imagination, their own little world, where only their feelings and hopes mattered. Emiko looked at her pink-haired friend. She really didn't deserve someone who would leave her on a bench in the middle of night. Sakura could have been raped or even killed. _I'll keep my promise to you, Sakura. I swear it._

Emiko slid the balcony door open and slipped out into the night air. Her large shirt flapped a little as she hopped up to the roof.

Kankuro had let her borrow a shirt that was too big even for him, and Sakura had given her some pants that went to her ankles. The girl sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She felt her back muscles tense, and a frown tugged at the corner of her mouth. _This back tensing up is really starting to irritate me._

"About time you showed your face." Emiko didn't turn her head.

"Well I did notice that you sensed my presence," the man responded cheerfully.

"Hn, who are you?"

The man leered at her and folded his arms across his chest. Emiko faced him and could barely make out that he wasn't wearing a hitai-ate in the moonless night. A gust of wind blew but both shinobi ignored it and watched each other.

"I'll tell you who I am if you defeat me," he replied. The girl restrained herself from rolling her eyes. _Arrogant bastard._ She spread her feet apart and fell into a fighting stance.

"It's not going to take long."

"Heh, I'm sure it won't, you look pathetic."

Emiko took out her own kunai then cursed to herself: she had forgotten to bring water.

"We'll see about that," she said coldly. She clenched her fists and felt her ears heat up. _Worst comes to worst, there must be a river somewhere nearby. I could lure him there and finish him off. This bastard is going to die._

The man didn't reply but somersaulted backwards while breaking parts of the roof. Emiko watched carefully, her eyes darting and scanning every move. He landed on the other end of the roof, both of his hands held huge piles of broken tile. They looked like shards of glass. He quickly began to throw them in a fast procession.

"Ninpou, Kawara Shuriken!"

Emiko quickly dodged each one of the shards, thinking quickly. _W__hen he was somersaulting away from me he was breaking the roof so he could get tiles. He's a long-range fighter, then?_

_Relax. Flow and stay calm, being quick is the key here, and that's what I'm good at. _The man began to launch more tile shuriken as well as kunai and senbon. Emiko clenched her teeth as the weapons were becoming harder to dodge. She could already feel the scrapes along her legs and arms. _Is he controlling them with chakra?! But he can't keep going like this forever, he doesn't have an endless supply of weaponry to throw so he will need to get some more tiles. His chakra isn't expendable either, and you can't possibly control all those weapons while throwing them. _The shuriken whistled dangerously close to her cheek as she turned her head to the side. _He must be controlling some of them with chakra._

_No more time for games, this ends now._ Emiko dodged again and swiftly appeared in front of the man and punched him square in the face. The man somersaulted backwards to keep distance between them. She ran forward and avoided the tiles he threw as he flipped. The man quickly made seals and took out a sword.

"Mikazuki no mai!"

The girl raised her eyebrows as the man dashed forward and it seemed like there were two of them. She scowled as they dashed closer. They both swung and she pulled herself to the ground. The man's clone stabbed the other instead of their target.

"Baka." Emiko smirked. Only an idiot wouldn't have expected that.

Then both of the figures blew up in smoke. The girl clenched her jaw. They were both clones of the bastard.

"You are the only idiot here, little girl!" Emiko looked up to see the man jumping towards her with his sword. She hastily surrendered herself to her instincts. The girl dove down backwards onto the ground and kicked the arm holding the sword. The shinobi grunted and spun around to cut her stomach. Emiko smirked and threw shuriken at him. He blocked it as she appeared behind him and lodged a kunai in his neck. His knees buckled and he fell down.

"Next time I don't want to fight someone so pathetic, not that there is going to be a next time." The girl tore her kunai out of his neck, spraying blood on her face. _Kuso. If I look like this who knows what Sakura and Temari will do? I killed the guy before he told me his name; now I have no idea what I'm dealing with. Kuso. _

Emiko walked back to her home slowly and slipped through Sakura's room to the couch. She sat down but remembered the various cuts and bruises lining her body. The girl got up and walked to the sink to wash and her legs and arms. She always took a long time bandaging her body properly.

It wasn't that Emiko liked to show off her skin because that was what she hated about other girls; they wore revealing and tight clothes that showed off their bodies. Emiko wore baggy clothing. She had nothing for guys to stare at anyways but she just didn't care if anyone saw anything.

The girl sighed and collapsed on her bed. Her body ached and her limbs were sore. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was of a certain red-haired Kazekage.


	26. Chapter 26: The Volume

**Sorry again for the slow updates. Miss. Moose (alliteration, eh?) I cracked up after reading that. But you're right for the most part. I'm starting to think people like stalking Emiko. Thanks Readerfreak10 for the compliments. **

**Me: Hmmm who today? I know! **

**Anko: Mitarashi Anko at your service!**

**Me: Say the disclaimer!**

**Anko: Don't boss me around, maggot!**

**Me: Ack! Say the disclaimer, please?!**

**Anko: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto, anyone got a problem with that?**

* * *

The hand previously shaking her arm stopped as Emiko opened her eyes.

"Hn," the girl grumbled as she threw her arm across her eyes blearily. The sunlight was streaming in from the window. Sakura sighed at Emiko's laziness and gave up on her mission to wake her up. Emiko yawned, struggling out of deep sleep. _Why does it have to be so sunny? It's just like Suna._

"Wake up, Spitty!" Kankuro walked in with a bagel in his mouth, and put Karasu on his back. She scowled at him and Temari padded in, scratching her hair and yawning. Sakura sat on the stool by the counter and giggled at Temari's crazy hair. The blonde scowled before fixing her hair into its usual style.

"It's not as bad as Spitty's hair," Kankuro laughed and Temari snorted. Emiko's hair stuck up on one side and her bangs were hanging in her face. Sakura laughed. It did look like she had an orange duck butt sticking out of the side of her head. Emiko's scowl deepened and got up from the couch.

"What happened to you, Emiko?"

Temari raised her eyebrows and looked over at her friend's bandages. The orange-haired girl shrugged it off, causing Sakura to frown.

"I took a walk last night and ran into a dog," she smirked to herself at the double meaning. Kankuro shrugged and finished eating his breakfast. He rubbed his hands together and stretched.

"We should get going, the first exam is going to start at five," Kankuro shifted his weight between his feet. The girls beside him nodded and gathered their things.

"Ja ne, Emiko!" Sakura called from the door.

"When you see Matsuri, give her a kick for me," Emiko said irritably. Temari gave a wry smile and Kankuro saluted his friend.

"By accident, of course!"  
Emiko smirked and fell back onto the couch. _It's going to be quiet without them around. What am I going to do? _She pushed herself off the couch, struck with an idea.

……………………………………………

The leather-bound book looked like it hadn't been opened in a century. A dust cloud rose when Emiko set it down on the table. She coughed slightly and stared at the heavy volume. It was hard to locate a full history of Konoha; Emiko speculated that it wasn't supposed to be found.

_Konoha history: must have been written by an ANBU scribe or something. There was another volume of it too. This should tell me everything I need to know about the Hyuugas. I was thinking about Neji and his kekkai genkai, and then I thought about what Sakura was talking about last night. Sasuke again, his entire clan had been killed. The Uchiha clan's demise is legendary, even I know of it. This book, it must have something about the Hyuuga and Uchiha clan. Their stories, those powerful clans fell apart. I'm curious, to say the least. Besides, there must be more than just that. And maybe it could help me piece my past together. Why was this so hard to find though? The only reason I found it was because I saw it hidden behind a row of books. If I hadn't been looking for a history book thoroughly I would have missed it. _

She frowned at the open space around her, deciding that a little privacy would do better with this volume. Gently tucking the worn book under her arm, she headed to some of the more deserted areas. The abandoned aisle was reserved for writing scrolls: something that was completely unneeded and useless. The air was musty and there was a layer of dust coating the ground and shelves.

Emiko sat down cross-legged and coughed as dust flew into the air. She gently opened to book to a random page and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the page, it was bent and ripped. Not only that, but there were scribbles in the margins in ink. The hand writing was too messy for her to decipher, but she could see lines under sentences. She turned the page warily as if she suspected that the next page was going to be completely defiled. The next page was missing; it had been roughly ripped out of the book as well as the next three. Emiko grimaced at the book. _This is going to be useless if someone has messed with it._

She flipped towards the front, but then her eye caught something. A neat symbol was placed on the margin on one of the beginning chapters. It looked like one of those toys children would play with. _What was it called? Wind mill? That's it, a pinwheel, or a shuriken without the fourth prong. What is it for? _She leaned closer to read the text next to the strange symbol. It was about the founding of Konoha and its first Hokage and clans. Her eyes widened as she finished reading the first page. _Uchiha Madara?! An Uchiha helped create Konoha? He and the First disagreed on how to govern Konoha and they fought. It doesn't say what happened after that though. The First obviously won. How strange, I would never have thought it was an Uchiha. A Hyuuga would have been more likely. What does this mean and what is the symbol for?_

She flipped to the pages concerning the Hyuuga clan; after all that's what she was really interested in. The pages concerning the Byakugan were completely undamaged and for the most part ignored. The only notation was near the text that talked about the Sharingan evolving from the Byakugan. She frowned at the scrawls and decided that the person who defiled this book was obsessed with the Uchiha. It didn't seem all that unreasonable considering the obsessions people seemed to have with that clan. Her mouth twitched as she thought of Sakura and Ino's fight over who their "precious Sasuke-kun" liked better. She had only met Ino once and Emiko had already decided that she was an air-headed, obnoxious girl. How Shikamaru could stand to be around her, Emiko could only guess.


	27. Chapter 27: The First Meeting

**I am so sorry for not posting in a while, so here's a long chapter to make up for it. Tell me what you think of this chapter please! **

**Me: Disclaiming time!**

**Shizune: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

**Me: Hey, where Tonton? **

**Shizune: Oh no! Bye! **

* * *

The orange-haired girl stifled a yawn and shut the leather book. Stretching her legs out, she got up wearily. After five hours of reading a book entirely on Konoha history, her legs and butt were cramping, badly. A scowl tugged at her mouth as she tried to find a place to hide the book. An idea popped into her head and she took out a kunai. At the place where the carpet, the book shelf and the wall met, Emiko dug her kunai in and slowly chipped a hole out of the shelf large enough to fit the book. When she was satisfied she cut the carpet so it could cover the hole inconspicuously. She stretched again and exited the library.

Emiko walked down to the market. She wanted dumplings for dinner. The market wasn't crowded for once considering the large absence of people taking the Chuunin Exams. A couple of little children ran past her, giggling hysterically. Emiko sighed to herself, thinking about how those little kids didn't know what they were going to get into when they were older. Then something caught her eye; it was a boy and girl huddled together on the curb. They were staring at the ground and pressed as close to each other as possible. Emiko slowly walked by them, and saw their hands were clasped together. She ignored the slight pressure in her chest.

_Dumplings, dumplings, where to get dumplings?_ Emiko scowled to herself as she was finding it increasingly hard to locate a simple, quiet dumpling stall. So far she was getting no luck; the drunken visitors for the Chuunin Exams were occupying all the restaurants instead of the streets and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

She sighed gratefully as she reached a stall that had a picture of steaming dumplings and dango on the sign. There was only one customer there and she didn't seem to be a raving drunk. Emiko sat down and looked at the menu carefully. _Shrimp dumplings. Good._ She gave her order to the man at the counter and he walked to the back kitchen.

Emiko put her chin in her hand and gave the woman next to her a glance. The other customer seemed to be a twenty-something woman who was clearly enjoying dango. She was wearing a trench coat and armored boots and her hair was a brown spiky mess. Emiko drank the tea that was handed to her. She glanced at the woman again, the woman looked like a cat completely absorbed in licking the skewer clean.

Emiko moved her head away in time to avoid the stick that flew from the woman.

"That could have hit me," the orange-haired girl dead panned and moved her hand to take out the stick that was now lodged into the wood pole next to her. She felt a sharp pain where the mesh covering her elbow was: there was a kunai pinning her arm to the wall.

"Don't you try it!" the woman yelled, "it's perfect, shimatta!"

Emiko stopped glaring at her to look at what she was talking about. The multiple sticks stuck in the wall made a picture of a sort. The sticks shaped into something that looked like a dango skewer. The woman was evidently proud of what she did.

Emiko growled slightly as she tried to pull out the kunai. It was lodged into the wood deep enough to force Emiko to use chakra to get it out.

The waiter came back with a plate of dumplings and more dango, a sigh escaped from his mouth as he saw the state of his customers.

"Anko-san, I told you if you attacked anymore customers I would have to kick you out." At this she pouted and crossed her arms.

"But Ohagi, I love this place! And she was going to ruin it!" Anko scowled as she pointed at her skewer display. Emiko finally succeeded in pulling the kunai out and glared at Anko.

"It's not good enough, Anko-san. You should apologize and pay for her food."

A crooked grin replaced the scowl the woman previously had and she scratched the back of her head and looked at Emiko.

"Gomenasai! I just don't like people messing with it! So what's your name?" Anko licked her thumb and cleaned off the blood on Emiko's arm. The orange-haired girl was stupefied. _This lady is insane. _She grimaced, not sure whether to introduce herself or not.

"Yosh! I am Mitarashi Anko!" the woman yelled breaking the awkward silence. She quickly snatched the plate of dango and popped the skewer into her mouth. Emiko flinched at the volume of her voice.

"I'm Emiko. Itadakimasu." She gratefully took the plate of dumplings from Ohagi.

"Just so you know, they are ho-" Ohagi began as Emiko bit into a dumpling. She nearly bit her tongue trying to keep from screaming. The dumplings were really, really hot. Her tongue felt fried and she managed to swallow the burning lump. Anko reached over and started to forcefully hit Emiko's back, trying to relieve her coughing fit.

"Arigato," Emiko muttered. Anko grinned widely, skewer still in place and reminded her of Naruto for a second. The woman quickly finished licking the skewer and threw it at the ceiling. Emiko looked up and smirked slightly.

"Konoha leaf, ne?"

……………………………………

"Who is it now?" Emiko stopped walking and waited for the person to show themselves. _Is this a nightly thing? Another person to fight every night? Troublesome._

"Well that was quick," a man walked out of the shadows calmly spinning a kunai on his finger. The shinobi had dark eyes and dirty blonde hair.

Emiko sighed and looked over the man carefully. If she saw the hitai-ate, everything would be simpler. She blinked and focused on the object around his neck. It looked like a forehead protector.

The man smiled and quickly made a flurry hand seals before she could see the insignia. The orange-haired girl cursed to herself and prepared herself for an attack. Suddenly everything seemed darker, like all the lights had been put out.

"Kokuangyou no Jutsu!"

Emiko couldn't see a foot in front of herself. She fumbled for a kunai and gripped it. _Instincts. Come on, listen. _The trees began to creek as the breeze picked up. She grimaced and breathed at a steady rate.

"This is exciting, if you keep this up I might fall asleep," the man said dully. She whirled around and threw a kunai towards the voice.

"You know you just hit a clone."

Emiko's hand twitched in annoyance. She pulled out more weapons and focused on listening and sensing the shinobi. She could feel the slight pressure on her eyes. A circle around her pupils appeared. Emiko felt herself tense up and whipped her kunai around. A smirk spread as she felt her kunai connect with something solid.

"Close! Pity that I used body substitution. You're going to have to think of something a little more creative."

Emiko clenched her hands. It would be less frustrating if she didn't see her own body. Watching her body move made her even less sure of what she was doing in all the darkness. The scowl on her face quirked upwards into a smirk as she thought of her new enemy. _This guy isn't trying to hurt me, he hasn't tried anything yet. I attack him and he dodges. If I do nothing, what would he do? What are his motives? _Emiko closed her eyes and let her hands fall to her side. She could feel her back muscles tense, but she didn't act on it. _Be calm, breathe. I can hear him if he makes a move. Knowing him, he'll probably say something just to rub it in. _

"Figuring it out now? Though, it couldn't kill you to reply to me. I feel ignored without any attention!"

_And there he goes. He's close now, trying to taunt me into doing something stupid. Well, I'm not giving him that satisfaction. I need to hit him with something, or have him make some kind of noise. There's an idea. _

Emiko rummaged in her kunai pouch until she gave a noise of approval. She heard a small crack of noise and threw a kunai at the spot while she put the small cylinder in her mouth. All she had to do was make sure not to bite on it. Next time the shinobi would say something he would regret it.

Her back tensed as she felt the kunai slice on her shoulder he had made. He was right there and now he was making his move. She could feel him now and she might as well work now. Emiko threw her shuriken where she thought he was and spat out the cylinder.

"Got to say your accuracy is spot on."

_Now! _She pulled the pin out and threw the bomb with all her might at where the shinobi was. She could hear a bang and a small fit of coughs.

"Well, I figured if I was blind, you might as well be too," the kunoichi smirked. She could hear the man laugh lightly. This caught her off guard; it sounded genuinely friendly, nothing sinister at all.

"Good one, I can't believe I didn't catch that."

"You are underestimating me, or you have a giant ego."

"Well, that could be true, or you have ego issues... So, I guess I'll leave you now. Ja ne!"

Emiko raised her eyebrows. _What is with this guy? He's leaving a fight, he's running off?_

"That's pathetic. You're being a coward."

"A coward with a brain maybe… Ja ne!"

She could hear footsteps and suddenly the lights came into view and the streets were visible. Emiko scowled to herself as she found she could see perfectly well again. _What… was that? Why did he leave? That was pathetic. What was that jutsu? It was an illusion so it must have been Genjutsu. I just… can't believe that. He… left. What the hell?_

She spent the walk back to her home trying to figure out what happened. She came to no satisfactory conclusion and ended up shrugging it off as she walked into her apartment.

Emiko stepped inside quietly. The apartment was dark and she could see the massive heap that was Kankuro on her couch, she could definitely hear his snores. She slipped through the door connecting to Sakura's room, making sure to be silent. Sakura was breathing loudly and her hair stuck up in all different directions.

"Sasuke…kun…"

Emiko's eyebrow twitched and she plopped herself down on the couch. She didn't understand girls sometimes, and she was one of them. _What did he ever do to make himself so important in her eyes? He didn't return her affection. Why does she keep striving for him? _

As that thought crossed her mind, the orange-haired girl's eyelids slid shut and she soon was snoring along with the rest of her friends.


	28. Chapter 28: The Sensei

**Alright, chapter 28! Good guessing Moose-y! **

**Me: Someone disclaim for pete's sakes! **

**Iruka: I'll say it! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto!**

**Me: But you never even show up in this story!**

* * *

Emiko awoke with a groan and pushed her hair out of her face. _It's too early, I want to sleep. _Sighing, she rolled over to her side and fell off the couch. She was extremely clumsy in the morning. She stretched and yawned while picking up an apple. There was a note on the counter in Sakura's neat handwriting.

**Emiko,**

**Temari, Kankuro, and I are going to be gone for five days for the Exams. If you're reading this, we're already gone. Hopefully you'll see us all again! **

**-Sakura**

She blinked and bit into her apple. _Sakura is always the positive one. What are the Exams like? All I know about them is what Sakura told me. I never went through any exam. _She was brought out of her thoughts by a sudden tapping noise. Emiko snapped her head around to find the noise was from Sakura's room. Making sure to have a kunai at hand, she walked warily towards the location of the tapping: the window.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The Copy Cat Ninja was sitting on the railing, nose in his orange book as usual. He waved, still not looking up.

"Yo."

"What are you doing here?"

Kakashi finally looked up. He put the book in his pocket and motioned for the orange-haired girl to come outside.

"Tsunade-sama wants to see you,"

"I'm not dressed."

He sighed, pulling out his book again and motioning Emiko back inside to change. She gave him a sigh of her own and quickly ran into the bathroom to change. She changed into her regular clothes and found that Kakashi had disappeared. _Where'd he go? _

"Kakashi-sensei?" Emiko turned around to find him hanging upside down from the roof. She didn't flinch or jump but she turned away from him and gave a violent sneeze. He raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"Did you catch a cold?"

Emiko shook her head and rubbed her nose.

"Yosh. Let's get going then."

They both jumped back onto the roof and made their way to the Hokage building. They were both silent, thinking about things important in their own world.

He was thinking about how he hadn't been able to go to the memorial that day, and he would have to be late for his mission.

She was thinking about the new mission and was still deliberating what happened to the guy she was fighting the night before. She briefly considered asking Kakashi-sensei why someone would run out like that, but dismissed the idea before she could even predict what he would say. It would be stupid to ask him something like that anyways.

Kakashi cleared his throat, prodding Emiko out of her thoughts.

"I'll be going now, ja ne."

Emiko blinked as he gave a quick wave and hastily jumped away. _That was strange. And Tsunade-sama wants to see me. Why?_

She walked through the hallways and knocked curtly on the Hokage's door. Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, answered and quickly ushered her inside. The little pig trailing beside her gave a small squeal and ran behind Shizune's legs. Emiko raised her eyebrows at the strange behavior of the pig before looking at the Hokage.

Tsunade was in her customary position; her hands were interlaced and her expression was business-like but warm. She overlooked Emiko, noting the new bandages around her arms and legs. She also noticed the dark outline around her eyes, probably caused from sleep deprivation. _Lack of sleep certainly wouldn't help her temperament; it wouldn't help anyone's emotional stability._

"Good to see you, Emiko. I trust you know why you are here."

Had it been any other person other than Emiko, they would have cracked a joke or said something sarcastic, but Emiko, being who she was, merely blinked in response. She, in fact, didn't remember why the Hokage wanted to see her.

"You don't? I called you here-"

A sudden cloud poof-ed in the room, not startling anyone but the pig. The orange-haired girl blinked again, and was a little irritated by the sudden intrusion. _Must be an ANBU or a Jounin. Why did they appear when Tsunade-sama was going to tell me why she wanted me here? _

"I guess I'm right on time."

Emiko balled her hands into fists, she knew that voice. The same voice that was so irritatingly familiar, that laughed and mocked her last night. The voice that belonged to the annoying ninja that trapped her in a Genjutsu. She casually slipped her shaking fists inside her pockets and kept her expression as apathetic as possible.

"Hai, you are, Isamu. Emiko, this is your sensei, Yuuta Isamu. He is going to train you," Tsunade-sama nodded to them. Emiko quickly thought back to the fight she had with her new sensei. _He didn't try to attack me seriously; he could have killed me at anytime. He wasn't trying to hurt me, not once. It makes sense now. It was a test. He tested me when I wasn't prepared so he could see my abilities for what they are. That was smart, but if I could figure that out then he needs to think of something more complicated. _

Emiko gave her new sensei a searching glance. He was bigger than her, but he wasn't very tall. He was wearing the standard Jounin uniform; the Flak jacket and turtleneck with the red swirl insignia. Her eyes swept up to his messy dark blonde hair and face. He was grinning and scratching the back of his head, expression carefree and cheerful. _So this is my new sensei. He doesn't seem anything like that guy I fought last night, but it is him. That is his chakra signature, and his voice. _

"Well I'll let you go now. Shizune, show them the way out, the ANBU guards should be on their way here," the Hokage blinked and began looking for something under her desk. Isamu sighed; it must have been the bottle of sake she hid.

………………………………………………………

"So let's go to the forest. We'll train there from now on," Isamu offered as he led his student toward the training grounds. Emiko shrugged in return and walked alongside him. _Is he pretending that he didn't attack me yesterday? That's pathetic. _

They reached a small clearing in the woods with makibishis planted in the ground. Targets were hooked on trees and random kunai and shuriken littered the area. Isamu stepped out into the middle of the training ground and shrugged his shoulders and plopped down. He gestured to Emiko to sit in front of him.

"So let's introduce our selves, shall we? Tell me your name, what you like to do, what you hate, favorite food, all that stuff. My name is Yuuta Isamu, I've recently been promoted Jounin," _More like ANBU_, he thought almost laughing to himself, "I like to be with my friends and relax with some sake. I _love_ handling hormonal teenagers, such as yourself. My favorite food, well, I like drinks more. I want to stay a Jounin, I dream _big_. Your turn." Isamu restrained himself from bursting out laughing. He was recently promoted ANBU, but for the sake of the mission he was supposed to be a Jounin.

Emiko nodded slightly and forced herself not to roll her eyes. _So he's a sarcastic alcoholic. _

"I'm Emiko. I'm from Hidden Mist, and I don't know my rank, I don't think I am a Genin. I like to train, and shrimp dumplings. There are a lot of things I don't like and they irritate me, such as annoying people. I don't have a dream, but I want to regain all my memories. I want to find a goal."

Isamu got up and stretched, he walked over to the tree and casually walked straight up the side of the trunk, not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets. Emiko got up warily.

"If you can, knowing how good you are with Genjutsu," he paused to let the underlying insult sink in, "walk up the tree and sit on the branch across from me." With that, he sat down on some of the lower branches.


	29. Chapter 29: The Training

**Posting time since its been such a boring week. Gah Moose, that sounds like that song. Where'd you go… I miss you so. Or something like that. Hehe, okay!**

**Me: For the love of God, someone disclaim! **

**Kisame: Heh, I'll do it!**

**Me: What the heck? Akatsuki?! Why?! How!? Gah!**

**Kisame: Sheesh. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

* * *

Emiko sighed and focused her chakra to her feet. She gingerly placed one foot onto the tree trunk, then the other. It was hard for her to control her chakra and it was taking all of her focus. The wood made a cracking sound and she found herself on the ground with the wind knocked out of her. She could hear her sensei give a snort then laugh. She got up and glared at him.

"Think of your chakra like a river, you can't force it forward, you need guide it evenly. Guide your chakra to the bottom of your feet. Relaxing may actually help, ne?"

The orange-haired kunoichi did as he said and focused on relaxing. _Evenly spread the chakra. The bottom of the feet, breathe, breathe. An even layer of chakra at the bottom of the feet, keep applying another layer of chakra._

She had been able to stand, even run, on water, but that was when she was in battle. When Emiko fought, her mind was blank and she was relaxed and chakra control was certainly easier for her. At this moment, though, there was nothing to occupy her thoughts, and she was over-thinking every detail.

She felt the warmth at the bottom of her feet and began to walk up the tree again. Emiko didn't dare think about her success as she moved closer to the tree branch. She was starting to lose the warmth at the bottom of her feet and she panicked despite all her concentration.

"You need to apply more chakra."

Emiko flinched and lost all her concentration. She found herself falling again and twisted in midair to land on her feet. She looked at Isamu with a scowl. He merely grinned in return and gave a shrug.

"Did I mess up your concentration? Whoops!" he laughed. Emiko clenched her fists and ignored him. _Stupid prick! _She then walked deliberately over to the tree. She concentrated and sent the chakra to her feet again. Emiko walked up the side of the tree, not bothering to look at anything other than her destination. She sat herself down on the tree trunk and raised her eyebrows in challenge to her sensei.

"It's about time," Isamu sighed. Emiko scowled and reminded herself not to attack him.

"If you hadn't distracted me, I would have been up here earlier."

"Because if you are being attacked by someone they will let you have all the time you need to defend yourself,"

Emiko's scowl deepened, and she gave a brief 'hn' in response. He had a point, but she knew that as well as he did. _He seemed smart a little while ago, but now, now he's just an idiot._

"So how about we get down, and you can practice chakra control?" he jumped down onto the ground and challenged her with one raised eyebrow. Emiko was above this, but decided to take the long way down, and prove her strength further. She took a deep breath and proceeded to walk down the side of the tree. Her chakra flow stopped suddenly and she jumped down the rest of the way.

"Good job, there," Isamu stated dryly, "Anyways, go to that tree and walk up it. Keep trying until you reach the top, and remember: no running! Ikuze!"

She scowled again and looked at the tree he was pointing to. It was easily the largest tree in the forest. She gave a small noise of consent and walked up to the tree. Making the standard seal and she began to walk up the trunk. Her chakra quickly increased and her foot made a dent, she quickly ran back to the ground and started all over again.

Isamu surveyed her efforts with unhidden satisfaction. _She doing better at chakra control already, and this isn't basic training. It's hard to walk up a tree without momentum. _He walked closer to the tree as Emiko fell down to the ground again. He laughed good-naturedly and was rewarded with an aggravated glare.

"Meet you at the top!" he called back to her as he quickly walked up the tree beside the one she was trying to ascend. She clenched her teeth and started walking up again.

"Oh where did you come from?"

Emiko blew some hair from her face and rolled her eyes. _Isamu and his sarcasm, oh how happy I would be if I didn't have to deal with it. And now I'm being sarcastic. Wonderful. _

"Training," she dead panned. It hadn't taken her very long to get up to the top, though she did get close to falling half-way there. It had only been a couple of hours and she had done nothing but chakra control, it was frustrating and boring, but unfortunately necessary.

"Well considering that only took an _hour_, we can continue chakra control training," he disappeared and she could hear branches snapping. The scowl on her face seemed to be permanently pressed in her mouth. She sighed and jumped down to the branches below. Emiko continued jumping down, occasionally snapping branches and landed on the ground.

Isamu was in the middle of the training area and picked up a branch. Emiko raised her eyebrows at him. She was waiting for him to explain the next exercise. He ignored her though and quickly cut the branch into a wood cylinder.

"The idea is for you to improve chakra control, everyday you are going to do this for an hour or until I tell you to stop. This isn't as hard as walking on water or trees because it is easier to send chakra to your palm then to your feet. All you have to do," he placed the wood on the ground, "is stand upside down on this."

Emiko nodded and surveyed the block with distaste: it was tiny compared to her and her weight would probably break it.

"The wood wouldn't work, I'm going to break it if I try to put my weight on that," she sighed. Isamu raised his eyebrow and wondered if she thought she was smarter than him. _Probably._ He shrugged his thoughts off.

"You're right," Isamu gave a small grin and walked over to a boulder at the edge of the clearing. Emiko raised her eyebrow and watched him closely. _He's concentrating. What is that?_ A blue aura settled around Isamu's fist and he threw his arm at the rock. What was previously a large boulder half his size was now broken into chunks of rock the size of his fist. He picked up a chunk that was the same size as the block of wood.

"Better, ne?" he grinned and placed the block in the middle of a circle of makibishis. She inclined her head and placed her hands on the block. _The makibishis are an added incentive not to fall. I can't make a mistake._

"How did you do that?"

"That's what you get with perfect chakra control," he paused and gave her a thoughtful look.

"Just lift yourself up and when you steady your center, lift one hand and focus on getting your chakra to be fully balanced throughout your body. If you push too much in a certain area, your ass will become very well acquainted with a makibishi," he laughed. Emiko could practically imagine him there with his good-natured grin.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied dryly. She slowly lifted her body up and sent chakra towards her arms to support herself. She now was standing upside down on the stone. Emiko breathed deeply and relaxed. _If I close my eyes I'll fall because I'll lose my sense of balance. I just have to let my chakra run smoothly throughout my body._ She imagined her chakra flowing like a river, running smoothly.

The orange-haired girl slowly lifted one hand and stretched it out to the side. Emiko pushed a little more chakra into the hand that was supporting her weight. She felt herself tilt and she panicked. She pushed off the stone and jumped back onto a tree branch.

"Good job! I didn't expect you to do so well the first time," Isamu was genuinely pleased. He wasn't like many of the other ANBU in that regard, he wasn't cold or jaded, but more laid-back and sarcastic and he wasn't afraid to show his emotions.

"It's about noon, so how about we get some lunch, ne? Dumplings for a job well done," he grinned. Emiko nodded and jumped down.

"I know a good place."

"Lead the way."


	30. Chapter 30: The Explanation

**Wow, this is an icky week already. Anyway, new long chapter. **

**Thanks so much to greenteamoose, it means a lot to me that you always review every chapter, it's fun writing the disclaimers. Thanks as well to Readerfreak10 for all the compliments. **

**Me: Helloooo?? Anyone here to disclaim?**

**Ichigo: Dumb ass! You can't even get someone from the right anime series to disclaim for you!**

**Me: …. Aren't you from Bleach?**

**Ichigo: Yeahhh…..**

**Me: Can you say the disclaimer anyway?**

**Ichigo: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. Or Bleach. **

* * *

Emiko gave a small grin as she chewed on her dumpling. Isamu perched on the tree branch next to hers, and dug into his food.

They were sitting on the highest branches of the tree they were practicing with. Their position overlooked the entire forest and the Hokage Mountain. It was a fantastic view with the setting sun and the light breeze.

The kunoichi studied the faces of the previous Hokages; Tsunade-sama's head was in construction. The basic outline of her face and hair was done, but it was rather unflattering. Her forehead looked lumpy and sharp and her hair was pointy. The Godaime Hokage probably wasn't very happy with the statue either.

"Chakra control is one of the most powerful abilities a shinobi can have, it takes up less chakra to perform jutsus, and you can easily become faster and stronger in a second. Chakra control is needed to fend off Genjutsu. That's why it is so important."

Emiko looked at him out of the corner of her eye. _I need to know how to defeat Genjutsu; I'm an easy target if I don't. If I have to master chakra control to do that, so be it. _She quickly chewed down the rest of her lunch and looked at Isamu expectantly.

"What, done now? It only took you twice as long as I thought you would, I'm impressed."

"Your sarcasm is annoying."

"_Gomen_."

The orange-haired girl rolled her eyes, and Isamu withheld a laugh; she had no idea what she was in for.

He casually reached into his holster and held three shuriken behind his back. He was fairly good at surprising people; the only problem with Emiko was that she had fast reflexes to even out the playing field. _She hasn't noticed yet, that's good for me, bad for her. She's going in for a big surprise._

Isamu quickly threw the shuriken at her. As he expected, she tilted her head away from them in reflex. He quickly drew out more shuriken and threw them at her with increasing speed. Emiko dove under the branch and crashed through the canopy. Her sensei ducked underneath, still maintaining the steady stream of shuriken. She quickly dashed across the trunk, reminding herself to keep a layer of chakra at the bottom of her feet. _What is he trying to do? Is this another training exercise?_

"Good, you figured it out. I'll let you in on the rules," he didn't pause in his volley of weapons, "you must stay on this tree, you can't go on the ground or any other tree. You're going to dodge what ever I can throw at you using chakra control. Don't get hit unless you want to go to the hospital."

Emiko gave a scowl in reply as she shifted her body away from another onslaught of kunai whistling past her. _It is a training exercise. Let's see what he's got. _

Isamu gave a wide grin and made a couple of hands seals.

"Shuriken, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Emiko's scowl deepened as she ran up the tree trunk away from the shuriken clones. _They all hurt even if they are clones. He never said using displacement didn't work. And he has got to run out of shuriken and kunai at some point…_ She felt a sharp pain across her shoulder and she vaguely registered she had been grazed by a kunai. It didn't really matter now, she had figured out the exercise. There was a trick to it, just how Isamu had first introduced himself, just how _he_ was.

The jutsu was still in place and the twenty clones of one kunai were flying. He wasn't using many real weapons, just the shadow clones of them.

Isamu was happy he was able to create so many, he didn't have a very large amount of chakra and without his excellent chakra control he would be extremely limited in what he could do. Not many realized this, but the Hokage certainly had.

Suddenly he felt a pull at his pants then a slight sting. He looked down to see a rip through his pant leg and warm liquid seeping through the fabric. _Of all times, __**now**__ she decides to attack me!_ He sighed as he continued to fire off shuriken at her disappearing figure. _She really is fast. She practically disappears and reappears without using any chakra. And now I have to be on guard for when she tries to attack me next._

Emiko smirked as she dodged another senbon. Everything was going to plan, though it seemed like there was an infinite amount of weapons in Isamu's pouch. She had sliced through the holster once, and one more try would be enough for her to get it. The only problem would be now that she blew her first attempt, she would have to be faster and catch him off-guard.

She ducked behind a branch and swiftly made a shadow clone. It took her more effort than it usually did, and there was only one. The Emiko clone climbed up the tree and the varying weapons suddenly targeted her. The real Emiko frowned and tried to tell her clone to come back. Both girls hopped to a hidden branch.

"You get the pouch. I'll dodge."

The two nodded to each other and leapt away.

She frowned as she watched her clone speed down the trunk and dash behind every couple of branches. She clenched her jaw as she felt another kunai skim across her leg. Concentrating her chakra to her feet again, Emiko sped away from the falling weapons and headed towards the top of the tree.

Isamu grinned as he sensed her chakra behind him. He was going to wait until she tried to attack him. He continued to throw the shuriken in one area of the trunk. He was fairly good at tricking people, and if she thought he wasn't on guard then she would be sloppy. He generally was astonished about how good she was, but even someone who was a newly recruited ANBU wouldn't fall for what she was planning. The only problem was why she wanted to attack him.

He suddenly felt a gust of wind and he focused his chakra to his nose, ears and eyes. Isamu threw a punch towards the girl in front of him. She fell down and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Nan-"

Isamu was cut off by Emiko jumping down on top of him and punching him square in the jaw. He felt a tug at the side of his pants and looked up to see his student with his kunai holster in hand. Emiko opened up the pouch and scowled. There was about twenty shuriken left.

"It was supposed to be over when I ran out of weapons, you weren't supposed to steal it from me," Isamu said sheepishly. He stood up and scratched the bridge of his nose.

"Tch, you would have had me dodging shuriken all night." Emiko held up the pouch for him. He sighed and snatched his holster back. He secretly agreed with her, if he had done the jutsu he had been doing earlier, he could have made the shuriken last until nightfall. He was still a little miffed that she had caught him with a shadow clone, but he hadn't thought she could do one, so he was caught off guard.

"Well, in that case training is over for tonight. I expect to see you here around noon tomorrow."

"Noon?"

"I like to sleep in."

Emiko nodded and Isamu put his hands behind his head, giving his usual grin.

"Goodnight!"

They walked away. Isamu went directly to the Hokage Tower to brief Godaime on the first training session while Emiko left to her apartment. They both needed a little bit of a break from each other's presence.

…………………………………………….

The orange-haired kunoichi slumped down on her bed, her body resisting all movement. She just felt like crashing, she didn't want to stay inside though. _Why am I tired? The training wasn't that difficult._ Despite this, her eyelids drooped shut and she fell into a deep sleep.

**"Temari!" **

**The blonde girl giggled and ran toward her friend. She stopped and leaned over her, hands on her knees. The orange-haired girl peered up at her friend from the ground and gave a small scowl. **

**"Kankuro pulled my hair again and he keeps calling me 'spitfire'."**

**"We'll get back at him, ne? I already got something in mind!" the blonde girl extended her hand toward the orange-haired girl, who hesitatingly took it. They both stood up and hooked their middle and pointer fingers. **

**"Arigato Temari." **

--

**"Come along, Emiko." The woman smiled kindly at the little girl next to her. Emiko held onto her mother's dress and hid her head in her sleeve. The woman smiled again and smoothed the top of her daughter's head. **

**"Where are we going, oka-san?" the little girl mumbled. **

**"Well once a child in our clan turns five; their name is put on a list. It's… hard to keep track of people in our clan, so this is the only way. Your name will be put on that list today."**

**Emiko bobbed her head and continued walking silently next to her mother. It must have been a special occasion because she was wearing a kimono, granted a very basic kimono, but a dress all the same. **

**They walked up to an older house. The older women pushed the dusty door open to reveal a small and bare room. An old man sat near a bordered up window was looking over a scroll.**

**"Ohayo Izumi-sama, it's good to see you again," he looked over at the young girl, "You're five, ne?" **

**Emiko nodded her head behind her mother's sleeve. The old man gave her a kind smile; his sunken eyes seemed to come alive for a moment behind his glasses. His face was weathered and everything about him seemed to radiate a deep sadness, as if he had seen too much and understood too little. **

**The old man pulled out ink and a brush and brought out a much larger scroll. The outside of the scroll was decorated with a picture of snow. He pulled it open delicately and rested it on the table in front of him. Names were listed in two columns, but all of the names had strange symbols next to them, but some had more than others. Her mother's name, like many of the others, had four wavy lines in front of it. Emiko recognized the symbol from her father's hitai-ate. **

**"How are you, Daisuke-san?" Izumi asked softly. The man gave a grim smile, and regarded the scroll sadly.**

**"I have been kept busy this year… Did you know that Mitsuru-sama, Hitoshi-san and their wives were killed last week? The villagers killed them, and any who they suspected also had a kekkai-genkai. Arata-sama and his family were killed last month as well. There are so few left… The youngest before this one is Haku-san. Arigato, Izumi-sama, I would not have known if you didn't tell me about him. His mother surely wouldn't have informed me."**

**"Do itashimashite." Izumi's face was pale and tight as she thought about her sister. She had cut off all ties with her after she had found out what Izumi had done. **

**Daisuke peered at the little girl over his glasses and beckoned to her.**

**"What is your name, little one?" **

**She received a small nod of encouragement from her mother.**

**"Emiko."**

**"It's a good name," he said, smiling lightly. He dipped the brush in ink and slowly wrote her name down on the scroll. The mist symbol was put next to her name. **

**"Do you see these two columns of names?" **

**The little girl leaned over the scroll and nodded her head.**

**"Your column, this one here, is the head family of our clan. This column," the man paused as he pointed to Haku's name, "is the branch family. I belong to the branch family, but you, little one, you are in the head family. You are the future."**

**Said child bit her lip and tugged her mother's sleeve. There was a great weight attached to his words, and even at five years old, Emiko felt this.**


	31. Chapter 31: The Unknown

**Wow, five reviews for a chapter. Thanks so much to Mello (you're back! I forgives you with my bad grammar), Misfit band geek, Substitute Shinigami, and as always Readerfreak10 and my Moose-y Poo (nicknames get weirder every time right?). Thanks also to the people who favorited and alerted this story.**

**Me: Somebody disclaim for God's sakes!**

**??: I wanna do it!!**

**Me: Who are you?**

**??: Substitute Shinigami! Tchee!**

**Me: But…. You are a human, you're not even fictional! How did you get here?! First Akatsuki, then Bleach characters and now real living people?!**

**Substitute Shinigami: You talk too much! TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto, got it?**

* * *

Emiko jerked upright. She could feel cold sweat run down her back as she tried to calm her erratic heart beat. _Something's wrong._ She pulled a kunai from underneath her pillow and walked to the glass door. The door required more effort to slide open then it usually did. Emiko stepped out onto the balcony. The night felt still and menacing, the clouds causing the shadows to become more prominent. It was slightly unnerving but the kuniochi's face was unreadable.

She snapped around and hurled her kunai at the stranger. Emiko jumped up to the roof in an instant, it looked like she disappeared and reappeared in thin air.

"That was really very pathetic."

A man's voice could be heard and a figure suddenly appeared on the roof before her. He was wearing a mask and a dark robe. Emiko took out a couple of kunai.

"It won't help you to criticize me; you're still going to die."

Her face remained expressionless. _This has been the second guy in three days. Do they have nothing better to do than stupid missions to retrieve some girl?_

The man sighed, then snickered.

"Let's see if you can top your performance in Bird Country. You took out Kento easily enough, but even a kiddy could do that."

"Nani?"

"Aa, you didn't notice me watching you all this time. Naturally you knew the fight was a set up, but for what? For two random shinobi from Sand to be killed? For the Kazekage to be assinated? You must be joking. I've been ordered to kill you and I took the liberty of following you to Konoha. You must be really stupid not to notice me for so long."

Emiko stiffened and she could feel anger boil in her stomach. She gripped the kunai until her knuckles were white. The masked shinobi could feel murderous intent radiating off of her.

"Who sent you?"

"Now why would I tell you that?"

She hurled the kunai as hard as she could but he still blocked it.

"Who fucking sent you?!" Emiko yelled at him and pulled out three shuriken.

"Now, now, no need to get hasty!" the man yelled as he pulled his mask off. He gave a small smirk.

"Shikumi no Jutsu!" his voice sounded raspy and harsh. The shinobi dragged his hand over his eye and Emiko froze. She fell to her knees, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The only sound that came from her was her ragged gasps of breath. The man smirked to himself; he really hadn't thought it would be so easy. And now the stupid little girl was frozen in fear with the horrifying images of her death.

The smirk quickly faded from his lips as he felt someone's chakra close at hand. The trees creaked ominously and suddenly the night didn't seem so still and quiet. On the contrary, the night seemed loud and full of movement everywhere he looked.

"Is anyone there?"

"Nope."

There was a loud thud as Isamu landed next to the immobile Emiko. The outsider frowned at this new arrival. Isamu gave a small sigh and placed his hand on his student's shoulder.

"Why don't you just leave her, its not like she's important to you. She's better off dead you know!"

"I don't want you to be mean to my little prodigy," Isamu snorted to himself and gripped Emiko's shoulder. He quickly forced his chakra through her to shut down the Genjutsu. She gave a small groan and slumped over.

"Tch. You're not taking me seriously, ne?" the man spat as he formed hand seals. Isamu prepared himself for whatever that was on its way. His head snapped up to see a fireball rushing toward him. He frowned. _This guy should be a Genjutsu user, so using Ninjutsu doesn't seem valid at all. Besides those hand seals weren't in the right order for a fire jutsu. _Isamu gave a nod to himself and clapped his hands together.

"Kai!"

The fireball slowly dissipated. The outsider cursed and shot off another round of hand seals.

"I'm not finished yet!"

Isamu frowned and raced the man for making hand seals. _If I beat him with my hand seal speed then the Genjutsu will be outdone with my own. I'm running out of chakra though, if I keep getting affected by his Genjutsu I won't have enough chakra to dispel it. _

"Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The flames from Isamu's mouth roared toward the shinobi who disappeared in a puff of smoke. He reappeared behind Isamu and hurled a kunai at him. Isamu spun around already armed with shuriken and threw it at the kunai. The weapons ricocheted off each other. Isamu pushed the last of his available chakra into his feet and disappeared.

"Nani?"

The ANBU swiftly hit the pressure point in the enemy's neck and caught the unconsciousshinobi. He laid the body down and created a clone of himself.

"Go get Yuugao, and be sure not to worry her, ne?"

The clone sped off promptly. Isamu sighed as he kneeled next to his student. Emiko was slumped over on her side and her breathing was shallow. He pressed two fingers to her wrist and counted the number of heartbeats with satisfaction. _Good, no damage whatsoever. We have to work on Genjutsu now or else she'll be dead the next time someone tries to attack her. _

"Nobu…"

He shot up and turned to look at the ANBU who had appeared behind him.

"Yuugao, gomen. I didn't mean to wake you up so early, but can you take this guy to headquarters? I need to call Ibiki so he can interrogate him."

Isamu watched her for a moment, she looked worn out and defeated. Her eyes were red and her purple hair was tangled. _Was she crying again? Was it about Hayate? _His heart tightened uncomfortably at her condition; she was one of his closest friends, and it was hard to be close to someone especially when you are an ANBU.

"Ibiki has his hands full with an interrogation case. He probably won't be free until two days from now. Who is _he_ anyway?"

He reached for the mask the shinobi had with him. The porcelain was designed with purple streaks along the brow line and under the eye. The mask worn by hunter-nin or ANBU usually had the village insignia on the forehead, but this one was an exception.

"He attacked my student, you know the mission, right? I'm sure he's a hunter-nin but his style is not like someone from Bloody Mist," he paused with a little chuckle, "she really got messed up…. Someone like her shouldn't get beaten too often or else there'll be some problems…"

"Nobu."

Isamu jumped out of his reverie and gave his friend a genuine smile.

"Gomen, gomen. I'll take my student home, and you'll take this guy to headquarters?"

"Hai, Nobu." Yuugao picked the unconscious body up and prepared to jump away.

"Yuugao-" she turned her head to look at him. He had the orange-haired girl slumped over on his back.

"Please call me Isamu."

She gave him a small smile and jumped away. Isamu grinned and leapt down to Emiko's balcony. It was second nature for him to find out information about his mission, and as it was, he had found out where she had lived. This was one of the few reasons he had been there in the nick of time, if he hadn't made sure of the location of her home she would probably be half way to Kami-knows-where.

The ANBU stepped through the patio door and cringed when he heard a banging noise. The girl on his back groaned and he quickly placed her on the couch. A bruise was already forming on her forehead where she hit the doorsill.

"Heh, hopeless." He grinned.


	32. Chapter 32: The ANBU's Mistake

****

Sorry for the wait! I'm in London right now and the keyboards are a little hard to figure out. And the internet is annoying. Thanks Moose-ness, sorry about spelling, I should be a bit more careful about that. Hopefully Emiko is not a Mary-Sue or an Angsty-Sue. Please tell me if she is. Thanks Mistress Persephone for the compliment as well as Readerfreak10 and Substitute Shinigami.

**Me: I am almost afraid to ask someone to say the disclaimer.**

**??: Muahahahaha. I feel so evil now.**

**Me: Who are you?!**

**Misfit band geek: Tchee! I am me, misfit band geek! Hey, that rhymes!**

**Me: No, it doesn't! Where do you people come from!? You exist, dammit! You're not in the show! Noooooo more people who can actually breathe! Only fictional and 2-D people can say the disclaimer!**

**Misfit band geek: Sniff sniff. Please? **

**Me: Just do it already. But no more existing humans! And yes, you count Masashi Kishimoto. You do not own Naruto. **

**Misfit band geek: But he does.**

**Me: Wait…. What?! **

**Misfit band geek: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and TheContheDistance doesn't!**

* * *

"Kuso!" Emiko lurched forward, gasping. _What happened? I was fighting a shinobi, and I'm here now. _She clutched her head but cringed as she felt something on her forehead. It was a piece of paper with tape.

"Nani?"

**You get a day off from training because you were so utterly talented. I'll find you later. –Isamu**

She let out a low hiss between clenched teeth. Did he save her? What was she supposed to do for the rest of the day? Patience was not one of Emiko's strong points, and it was worse when she didn't know what happened to the guy who attacked her.

She let out a small noise of distaste and crumpled the piece of paper. Emiko abruptly stood up, a frown etched on her face. There was only one day of training so far, she hadn't had anytime to get stronger, and now there was a day off. Isamu was obviously being sarcastic when he wrote down the note, she wasn't very good. So why was he letting her off? She didn't understand him in the slightest.

...

Emiko paced through the dusty aisle of the library, one book in particular in mind. She gave a relieved sigh when she saw the area was relatively undisturbed. The volume was in the same place; under the carpet where the wall and shelves meet. She plopped down onto the ground and hastily flipped to the chapter concerning the Hyuuga Clan.

It was a thoroughly long chapter that she didn't manage to read through the last time. The book went into the details of the Hyuuga Clan, from history, to jutsus, to politics of family branches.

She found another book on the Hyuuga Clan's fighting; she wanted to learn how the Gentle Fist operated. The history text didn't clarify the details of the technique, but more of the general basics. It wasn't enough to satisfy her need to better her fighting style. Her Taijutsu needed to be diverse and surprising; being able to perform the Gentle Fist technique would help. She didn't know whether or not it was only available to Hyuugas though.

"What are you reading?"

Emiko jerked upright from her slumped position to see Isamu twirling a kunai on his finger. She sharply shut the book closed and gave him a glower.

"A book," she replied stiffly. He snorted and dropped the kunai into his holster.

"No way," he said dryly, "Is it a fascinating book?"

"Tch."

She shoved the book into one of the shelves, and quickly memorized where it was. She tried to seem nonchalant; she didn't want Isamu to find out that she was reading this book. Emiko was fairly certain that the volume wasn't supposed to be read by any shinobi under Jounin. At least, that's what it seemed like.

Her sensei, however, picked up the volume and wiped the dust off the cover to read the title. Her heart thumped painfully against her rib cage, and she tried to remain utterly calm. He didn't say anything, just staring at the book.

"I don't think you should read this anymore," Isamu was as cheerful as ever, his tone not portraying his thoughts. He put the book on a much higher shelf, and dusted off his hands. Emiko's frown deepened. She deftly hid the book about the Hyuugas: She'd be damned if he wouldn't allow her to read that one as well.

"Nande?" she snapped bluntly.

He blatantly ignored her and walked out of the aisle. Isamu paused then turned to face her with a huge grin on his face.

"I guess you don't want to know what happened last night then."

Emiko glared at him openly, she didn't even try to mask her irritation. How did Isamu know? Did he help her out? Why couldn't he just tell her instead of making everything so overly complicated?

"Enlighten me," she grumbled. He laughed in his good natured way, thus making her even more exasperated. He shrugged and motioned for her to walk with him. Emiko grudgingly moved to stand beside him. _He better give me a good answer. Not one of his tricks. _

……………………………

Emiko's hands were shaking. No, not her hands, her fists. She was doing everything in her power not to throttle her sensei. She was aggravated that she couldn't keep _herself_ under control. It wasn't fair that she couldn't stop Isamu for screwing up so badly. _Was he drunk when this happened?_ He had seemed completely unfazed when he explained what happened.

So he _had_ saved her neck in the end. He knocked the enemy shinobi unconscious and rescued- no, not rescued- _helped_ her out of the Genjutsu. She refused to believe that he had actually kept her from being killed or kidnapped. Isamu then called an ANBU to take the shinobi to headquarters, and he brought Emiko home. He didn't tell her that he watched over her the entire night to make sure she was safe.

What had really driven Emiko off the edge was what happened during the time she slept. He told her that the enemy shinobi had used some strange form of substitution and a dead ANBU to escape from headquarters. She couldn't believe that ANBU were tricked by something so simple. It drove her nuts. And now the shinobi who was _trying to kill her_ was running around unharmed. It wasn't funny, so why was Isamu being so casual about it?!

"Get bent," Emiko spat. Isamu sighed and twirled a kunai with his finger.

"Oh I would _love_ to." Her hand twitched and anger radiated off her, he sighed and ignored her killing intent. He hadn't planned on having this happen, it just _did_. The fact that the shinobi escaped from ANBU headquarters didn't worry him very much, but the fact that the said person utilized a sort of Ninjutsu to trick ANBU did. And the fact that he was worried made Isamu more nervous. He was never worried.

"Listen, this isn't the last time one of those hunter-nins are going to try to kill you. There will be more around sooner or later."

"Then you should have let me kill him!" she retorted. He sighed and rubbed his temples with one hand. Emiko gave her own sigh, deciding it was better to just kill the teme the next time they meant. And Isamu would better not be around to see it.

They sat in an unsettling silence, each of them thinking of completely different subjects. Emiko shifted and rested her chin on her palm. Isamu continued to twirl a kunai.

"Where is Kakashi-sensei?"

He lifted his eyebrows and gave a snort.

"I can't be called 'sensei'? Well, one would think that after a mission, he would be at home trying to rest and be undisturbed by bothersome teenage girls."

She blatantly ignored him and got off of the wood stump. Isamu sighed again and side-stepped the makibishis on the ground. He was actually planning on working on Genjutsu defense today, that was why he brought her to the training ground anyways. But as usual she had her own agenda.

"Please, do keep ignoring me and walking away. I'm sure that Kakashi-san will be very pleased that you decided to drop by for no reason."

Isamu jogged to catch up with her: he was going to make sure she wouldn't cause any trouble. But knowing Emiko, even for a short time, it seemed highly unlikely that he would succeed. They walked in silence to Kakashi's house, even though she had no idea where it was, she looked like she was leading him there.

The orange-haired kunoichi knocked on the door to Kakashi's apartment. She was still wound up after finding out about what happened the night before. It hadn't helped that Isamu knew they way to get to Kakashi's home, and constantly reminded her of that.

The door flew open to display Kakashi in a navy turtleneck, and unsurprisingly, his customary mask. His eyebrow rose slightly when he saw his visitors.

"Emiko? What are you doing here?" He swiftly moved away from the door to let Isamu and Emiko through. The apartment was basic and standard for someone who had frequent missions. The eldest of the three led them to the couch and sat down, taking out his famous orange book. Emiko remained standing, and gazed at Kakashi steadily.

"What happened during your fight with Haku?"

The Copy Nin sat still in thoughtful silence and lowered his book slightly to look over at her. Isamu shifted slightly in his seat; he hadn't an idea about what she wanted to do and he still didn't know.

Kakashi sighed, putting his book back safely in his back pocket. He proceeded to tell her of how her cousin fought, granted he couldn't explain what happened to Naruto and Sasuke during their time in the ice mirror jutsu considering he was busy with Zabuza. Strangely enough, Kakashi also managed to steer clear of the subject of Haku's death. The grey-haired shinobi definitely had a way with words.

"Teach me."

**

* * *

**

For the people who don't understand what happened, review or message me so I can explain it better. Sorry about that.


	33. Chapter 33: The Flower

**Sorry for being so late with the update. There were some problems writing and then that got deleted. Fuuuu. But now at least I am working harder on making the chapter better. Thanks so much, greenteamoose, Mary-Sues or any variation of that are one of the worst things about fanfictions, and it would suck if Emiko was one. Thanks Misfit band geek. **

**Me: Disclaim!**

**Yuugao: Alright, TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. And for people who don't know who I am-**

**Me: She's known as the purple-haired-ANBU-chick, you know, the one that talked to Kakashi and showed up in one episode. **

**Yuugao: And I was Hayate's girlfriend before he…. Yeah. **

* * *

"Tell me then."

Kakashi was instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia. Not a nice, heart warming nostalgia, but a cold and worrisome image of another person in front of him. What Sakura had told him before she left for the Chuunin Exams was right. _She is just like Sasuke._ He could practically see him standing there, almost like a ghost, with the same look of determination on his face.

The grey-haired shinobi sighed. He had felt a lot of responsibility for the most arrogant member of Team 7, but utterly failed him, just like he failed everyone else he loved. Letting another person down was the last thing Kakashi wanted to do, especially now that he was so close to assuming responsibility over another Sasuke. Emiko had no idea what she was putting before Kakashi by simply asking him to help her.

"Hyouton is a kekkai-genkai that has two chakra natures; wind and water. You need both to freeze liquid. Haku made ice senbon out of water droplets, so you can do the same, ne?"

The girl standing in front of him nodded. Isamu shot Kakashi an inquiring look, he could never read Kakashi before, but now it was practically impossible. Was he going to help Emiko train her kekkai-genkai?

"What should I do?" Emiko asked, her expression remaining cool and collected. The silver-haired Jounin reached back into his pocket to read his Icha Icha Paradise, it was a way to buy him more time to think. He already decided how he felt about this, but his actions weren't settled as of yet.

"Learn, train, practice jutsus." It was a lame response, and he knew that. But he decided to let Isamu have the responsibility; it was selfish, and he knew that as well. Kakashi just hoped the ANBU would be up to it.

She nodded again, and inclined her head in gratitude. She had heard all she needed to hear, no one could teach her how to master her kekkai-genkai, she would have to do it all on her own.

"Ja ne, Kakashi-sensei," Emiko walked over to the door, Isamu casually strolling behind her. He was a little bit tired of following his student everywhere; after all, he was older. Wasn't he the sensei, not the other way around?

"Isamu," the blonde turned to look at the elder shinobi, "I would like to chat with you for a moment."

The orange-haired girl sighed and stepped out into the hall to give them privacy. Her sensei sat himself down in front of Kakashi once more and gave him another searching glance. The gray-haired Jounin was reading Icha Icha Paradise once more, just like he would have done if he was all alone. Isamu fiddled with a kunai, feigning interest in the weapon. He was brainstorming ways to break the awkward silence.

"Ano… What did you want to talk about?"

"Tell me what you know of Emiko's abilities." The Copy Nin didn't even bother sparing a glance at Isamu, but continued to read, carelessly turning to the next page. The blonde shinobi sighed and spun the kunai between his hands. He paused to fully evaluate his student's skills.

"From what I heard from others and what I've seen I don't know too much about her abilities. I know the basics, like chakra control and Taijutsu. I trained her chakra control a little yesterday, and I can say that she's certainly _not_ extremely talented at it. It'll be very unlikely that she'll ever become a medic. She isn't as good as the other Genin her age, she's pretty far behind. I haven't seen if Emiko can walk on water yet, but I was planning on doing that tomorrow during training.

"She's best at Taijutsu, this is obvious. She has a practically abnormal speed for someone her age, with pretty fast reflexes as well. Granted, sometimes she's not too smart about timing her attacks and where to hit. Her strength is almost pathetically bad and her aim isn't the best, but she could brush up on that easily," it was weird that he was defending his student's abilities, "But she's a solid Taijutsu type. I haven't seen her use Ninjutsu very often, only once to make a Bunshin. So that's something she should use more, or at least I could teach her. I haven't seen her kekkai-genkai, but I heard about it.

"Heh, Genjutsu, what can I say?" Isamu gave a small chuckle, "She sucks at it. She doesn't have a chance even against a regular replacement technique, let alone try to dispel it. That's her weakness above all, and Kami, that is one big downfall."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully, still studying the page on his book. She certainly did need lots of training, not to mention learning basic Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.

"She's not a complete Taijutsu type. Once she masters Hyouton she'll incorporate Taijutsu into her kekkai-genkai, it will be her own style." Isamu gave Kakashi a shrewd look, the ex-ANBU was deserving of the nickname and rumors; Kakashi was truly a genius.

"I understand, arigato." The Jounin waved the appreciation away and shrugged.

"I suppose then this meeting is adjourned."

"Yosh. Ja ne, Kakashi-san."

He gave a small wave to Isamu and crinkled his visible eye, smiling beneath his mask. _Good luck, Isamu._

"That took a while."

Isamu ignored his student and began to walk away, there were things he needed to do. Emiko scowled at his retreating figure and followed him, the look of boredom on her face. He could hear her trailing behind him even as he walked along the street. He stopped, scratching the back of his neck so he could get a good look at her.

"Training isn't the vital part of life. Today's your break, use it, relax for once in your life. You know that all that pent up anger will cause you to spontaneously combust."

His student rolled her eyes, and her scowl deepened. Like hell she would relax, the mere idea of not doing _something_ drove her insane. If she couldn't train, then she'd have to find something else to do.

"Che, fine by me."

Emiko sauntered off, obviously very peeved by the dismissal. It wasn't his fault he had priorities of his own, and it certainly wasn't his fault that she couldn't take a breather. He sighed, briefly wondering if he could keep control of his frustration during the mission.

Isamu began to walk slowly, reluctantly, to the place he had been avoiding. It couldn't be put off much longer, and guilt was already building up. He knew that it was about time for him to face his fears, and he briefly wondered how many times Koto had gone without him.

He carelessly opened the door of the store, the bell tinkling merrily.

"Yamanaka Flower Shop, how can I-" Ino's absentminded statement stopped as she saw who entered the shop.

"Isamu-nii!"

"Ohayo imouto-san. How's your tou-san?" the ANBU gave a grin at the young girl. She was a good kid, and he cared about her quite a lot. If he had it any other way he would be her step-brother, but as it was, they had a bond that couldn't be closer to family. He was only fifteen years older than her, and he had known her most of his life.

"He's good! But what are you here for, Isamu-nii?" the blonde girl held her cheek in her hand and stuck out her tongue childishly. Scratching his nose, Isamu looked a little sheepish, and guilty, which made Ino's grin widen.

"Are you here to buy flowers? You have a girlfriend, ne Isamu-nii?" she giggled. He laughed as well, blushing a little.

"No," he picked up a single white flower, "I just wanted to buy this."

Ino's face fell as she saw what type of flower it was, and she shook her head as Isamu held out the fee.

"It's on the house," she whispered sadly. Isamu gave a small grin and tapped her forehead.

"Smile! If you frown all those guys who are madly in love with you will be disappointed," he reminded her. Ino gave a small smile and blushed, nodding her head.

"Do you know where Koto is?" he continued, he would be glad to see her again. It had been a long time, too long. Ino seemed to perk up somewhat, and she regained her regular tone of voice.

"Nee-chan? I haven't seen her in a while, Tou-san said she wanted to take over the shop though."

Isamu crossed his arms across his chest, his expression was thoughtful. _Inoichi would love to have his little sister take over the business, he knows how much she hates being a ninja and how much she hates fighting. I should have known that's what she would do. That means I can check up on her more too. _

"That's great. Thanks for the flower, Ino-chan. Ja ne!"

Isamu waved and walked outside to the street, and he suddenly realized what a nice day it was. His smile faded into a grimace. _Ironic that it's sunny today of all days._


	34. Chapter 34: The Memorial Stone

**Alrighty! Long chapter time! I really don't want to go to 50 chapters for this fanfic… And it's already been 34. Gah! Didn't think it would be this long! **

**Me: Someone disclaim… twitch twitch**

**Oro: Kukuku I'll do it… TheContheDistance doesn't own Sasssuke-kun's body**

**Me: Stop making me twitch! I don't want to own Sasuke's body anyways! Yuck! I don't own NA-RU-TO!! Get it?! **

**Oro: Doessn't matter to me**

**Me: …Don't you have an avenger to stalk?**

**Oro: I'll take my leave now. Excusse me.**

* * *

Isamu waved and walked outside to the street, and he suddenly realized what a nice day it was. His smile faded into a grimace. _Ironic that it's sunny today of all days._ He made his way to the clearing; it wasn't too far from Kakashi's house, and for good reason.

The blonde ANBU stepped past the slab of stone in the middle of the clearing. Isamu always thought the memorial stone was shaped weirdly, and he was curious as to why there were so few names on it. But of course, what he was looking for wasn't there, it was farther away.

He jumped onto the roof of the building and felt the all consuming need to run. It felt like there wasn't enough _time_, like it would suddenly disappear. He ran, pushing chakra to the soles of his feet, only slowing down when the huge compound came into sight. Isamu stopped running and jumped down to approach the large enclosed area. Only a little ways away was what he was looking for, what he was afraid of.

The rock was very similar to the K.I.A. memorial stone, the shapes were different, and this one was less cared for and less visited. His trembling fingers reached out to touch the engraved text.

"Uchiha Toshiru…" Isamu ran his fingers over the fan symbol on the top of the memorial stone.

_The rain poured down softly on the two teenagers standing in front of a large slab of stone. One of the teenagers, a girl, cried unnoticeable except for the choking gasps of air. The boy standing beside her merely looked at the stone, the dark shadows beneath his eyes contrasted with his blonde hair. They seemed much younger than they were, despite the fact they were seventeen and Chuunins. _

_The memorial stone was a new addition to the Uchiha compound, recently erected in memory of those who were murdered in the massacre. Few people came to the site, and as far as Nobu could tell there were even fewer people who were friends with Uchihas. The only reason they were there was because of their three-man cell; and the fact that it was no longer three, but two. _

"_Toshiru…" _

_Nobu couldn't cry, it was taking all of his self-control not to break down. He had to be strong for his teammate, she had loved him and she hadn't known the feeling was mutual. But he died. He was murdered. Toshiru was one of the massacred Uchiha, and for what reason? Nobu couldn't even begin to guess. He could feel his fists shaking slightly, and he began to cry despite his efforts._

_The girl beside him seemed to collapse into herself, and she fell down, sobbing even harder. Her bright blue eyes that always seemed to radiate strength and peacefulness now were dull and bloodshot. She clearly hadn't been peaceful recently, at least not after the massacre. _

"_Koto…I…he-" Nobu struggled to convey his thoughts to her, he wanted her to understand. Toshiru was like a brother to him, they were best friends, he wouldn't have gotten to Chuunin without Toshiru. He had lost something just as precious. _

_A snap alerted both Chuunins to a small presence in the clearing. Nobu frowned, quickly wiping his tears away so his vision would be clear. There was a little boy at the edge of the clearing; he looked frightened and ashamed, like he wasn't supposed to be there. He looked about seven or eight. Nobu stepped forward, unsure of what to do or say, he wasn't really thinking but acting mechanically. _

"_You…" _

_As soon as Nobu spoke, the little boy turned and ran until the blonde couldn't see the spiky outline of his hair. He did notice a clear detail though, something that had him rooted to the spot until Koto helped take him home. Something that he saw on the back of his teammate's shirt or whenever he visited the Uchiha compound. _

_A fan. _

…………………

Emiko looked outside her open window, hoping to lure a breeze to cool off the mid-day heat. She had come back from training that day, and was contemplating chakra control. Her sensei had been drilling her on that for two days straight and she honestly didn't seem to be improving as much as she hoped. Walking slowly across water was not as easy as she assumed it to be, granted she managed to do so but not without some sarcastic comments from Isamu. He was unflaggingly cheerful, to the point of being irritating since she talked to Kakashi and she couldn't figure out the cause of his temperament. It irritated her.

She blinked, suddenly realizing that it had been four days since she met Isamu and Temari, Kankuro and Sakura were coming back from the first two tests the next day. It seemed like two weeks were crammed into four days.

The girl's mouth twitched slightly as she thought of her… friends? It was such a loose term, she definitely didn't trust any of them-that was true for _anyone_ though­­- with her life. Emiko lived on her own almost all her life, she had come out in perfect health with no one's help other than her own. She couldn't understand how Sakura could so easily entrust her life in someone else's hands. The result was perfectly clear; being left on a bench unconscious in the middle of the night.

She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly and evenly. Her lack of sleep produced the dark lines under her eyes. Sleeping hadn't been getting any easier with the dreams in the middle of the night: she would wake up, head pounding, each time. The memories in the dreams seemed to happen in little fragments so it created more questions than answers.

The latest dreams had taken place when she was younger switching from Suna to Kiri. The one from the night before was her first encounter with the Sand Siblings. It had been Kankuro she had met first; he had accidentally tripped over her when she was crying. He thought she was crying because he hurt her, so sheepish and annoyed, he got Temari to help him comfort the crying girl.

It was such a long time ago, and Emiko was so different back then-everyone was. She suspected that she didn't remember her past back then, how her parents died, and that enabled her to be more free-spirited and not as quiet and angry as she was now. _Why did I run away then? If I was so happy… why? _

Emiko frowned, her body fidgeted with suppressed energy. She needed to _do_ something, to focus, to accomplish something. She was just wasting her days doing nothing! That thought made her scowl and she clenched her hands. The orange-haired kunoichi couldn't shake the restless feeling inside of her. Training was boring; Isamu hadn't even let her try to activate her kekkai-genkai even once. And now that she retained more memories from her past, she knew there was a scroll somewhere out there that could help her find any other survivors of her clan. She didn't need to be the only one left.

……

The sun reflected off of the bright green of the trees in the forest, and the smell of grass wafted through the afternoon air. The only sounds coming from the dirt clearing in the middle of the woods were clatters and small animals. The lone kunoichi was throwing punches and kicks at a tree. She had been training for hours considering the heavy sweat on her brow and her flushed cheeks. Her bangs clung to her forehead as she gouged another hole into the trunk with a kunai.

As she continued to try to fell the tree her thoughts drifted to the young Kazekage. Emiko started for a second, and her heart seemed to tug uneasily; she really missed him. Gaara was one of the few people that she could fully appreciate and trust, and his disposition was that of a serious, calm person. There were very few like that, especially now that she was back in Konoha. He made her feel calm but excited, like a warming sensation in her body. If she would ever let herself be vulnerable to anyone it would be Gaara, and for that reason she tried to make herself stronger for him.

Yet, at the same time, she could tell her feelings had shifted somewhat. Naturally she denied this to herself and didn't confront it, technically Emiko hadn't even realized it. But underneath her affection and infatuation for the red-head, there was something else. Was it love? Honest to Kami, love?

Emiko gave a harsh kick to the tree; there was a small dent even with the extra chakra she used. She needed to be stronger, much stronger. It was frustrating, to say the least. She concentrated on gathering all her chakra into her hand and slammed it against the trunk of the tree. It looked like a very small bomb blew up in the clearing. The bark on the tree had been ripped off prior to her training session and she had been practicing for hours. After that punch though, there was large dent that splintered and cracked through half the tree trunk.

She sighed, exhausted and out of chakra. The orange-haired girl slumped down into a sitting position, slowly stretching her muscles. She could feel the start of a headache and she wasn't even home yet, the lack of sleep tonight would certainly not be of any help. Emiko rubbed her irritated eyes, the dark rims standing out ever darker in fading sunlight. She was always pale, but now it was starting to look unnatural and sickly. She needed to go home and rest, she needed to sort out what she wanted to do, once and for all.


	35. Chapter 35: The Return

**Hey everyone! Chapter 35 here. Also, feedback would be greatly appreciated. A lot of thanks to dotmoose, you made me jump for joy and scare everyone in a ten-foot radius. I really appreciate your reviews! Isamu actually isn't related to the Yamanakas, his teammate, Koto was. No worries, I got everything planned out!  
**

**Me: (I am slamming my head against the table) Someone disclaim for the 35****th**** time!**

**Sasori: This is pathetic.**

**Me: Anyone else other Sasori? Hm? ANYONE? AT ALL?!**

**Deidara: I'll do it, un!**

**Me: HELL NO! GET OUT!**

**Deidara: Hmph, fine.**

**Sasori: If you don't mind I'll rehearse the disclaimer now. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. But she certainly is a better artist than Deidara.**

**Me: Grumble, grumble. Really? Thanks… I guess….**

**Sasori: I said you were better than **_**Deidara.**_

**Me: OH YOU-!**

* * *

"Dango! Yosh!"

Emiko sighed quietly at the Special Jounin next to her, she was not surprised when two kids ran away from the dumpling booth in fear. She rubbed her temples, trying to suppress the forming headache. She chewed the dumpling slowly, easing her way through her cluttered thoughts.

"What's with you? You're all quiet! Start talking, maggot!"

"You don't want to scare more children, do you, Anko?" Emiko asked, raising an eyebrow. The brown-haired woman replied by putting her hands on her hips and leaning over to the younger girl., glowering.

"It was their fault they ran away, it's fun scaring the little kiddies. It's too bad I can't scare you. Maybe I'm going soft, I scared that Uzumaki kid last year and _he_ was a Genin. But I can't scare you!" she said thoughtfully.

"…Naruto?"

"Aa, that kid! I haven't seen him around, where'd he go?"

"Sakura said he was training."

Anko scowled and shoved a dango skewer in her mouth, she got antsy when she was bored. Without the stupid Uzumaki boy she wouldn't have a great variety of people to freak out. She needed someone crazy, she was being surrounded with calm people! Emiko and Kurenai couldn't prank anyone, and certainly wouldn't freak out about anything she did. Kotetsu and Izumo were in the Chuunin Exams again, but usually they would be of _some_ entertainment!

She shot the girl beside her a curious look. She never noticed the horizontal scar running across Emiko's cheek before. How'd it get there? Anko shoved a finger in Emiko's face. The orange-haired girl responded with another raised eyebrow and indifferently batted the finger away.

"How'd you get that?!"

Emiko looked at her in the corner of her eye, not turning her head or responding. She popped another dumpling in her mouth and chewed aggravatingly slow, enjoying Anko's mounting annoyance. She spent at least five minutes chewing before she swallowed.

"Answer already!"

The younger kunoichi gave her an insipid look and shrugged: she didn't know herself. Anko nearly screamed.

"I got to go," Emiko replied coolly and dropped a couple of ryou on the counter of the stand. She slipped off her chair despite Anko's obvious frustration. She managed to walk far enough that she couldn't hear the woman yell.

"OI! EMIKO!"

Emiko felt her skin tingle unpleasantly and cringed, gritting her teeth. She cursed and put her hand under her shirt to feel the skin, when she drew out her hand the fingers were covered in blood. She mumbled another curse under her breath and ran home.

...

_I was thinking of Gaara recently, about that scar on his forehead. "Love". Gaara was transfixed with the idea of love, and he was frustrated by it so much he engraved it onto his forehead. He never forgot about love because there was a reminder that could never go away, it was a part of his body and mind._

_It was a genius idea, really. A permanent souvenir on your body, and of something that is so important to you._

_ It's helpful if I ever forget my past again, I'll always be reminded of where I am from. It hurts a lot more than I thought it would, and Anko said she knew what she was doing, but I doubt that. _

She let out a low hiss between clenched teeth as she patted the skin dry and applied disinfectant. She was sure that it shouldn't bleed, hopefully the tattoo would come out alright. Emiko lifted the edge of her shirt enough to see the marks on her stomach. The ink was drying still, and it smarted uncomfortably.

The insignias were in a row on the left side of her stomach running down to her hip bone. They were barely recognizable, the first of the three symbols was the top one in the column. It was the emblem for Kiri's shinobi; four wavy lines, two in each column. The next was the Konoha leaf, and lastly the village symbol for Suna. She lived in each village in that order, and if she would ever forget again, there was a reminder on her body.

Emiko jerked upright as she heard the door open to her apartment. She quickly wrapped bandages around her stomach and readjusted her shirt.

"Emiko-chan!" She could hear Sakura's voice come from the other side of the door. The front door slammed shut.

"Oi, Spitty! Where are you?"

The bathroom door swung open, and she came face to face with Sakura, Temari and Kankuro. They all looked as if five dogs had tackled them and they hadn't gotten sleep for the five days they were gone. Emiko blinked.

"How was it?"

Temari groaned and threw herself on the couch, Kankuro and Sakura followed her lead. Sakura shook her head, closing her eyes and sighing aloud. The blonde put her hands over her face and groaned again.

"We had a short half-day break between the first and second Exam. And the first Exam was bad enough," Temari muttered between her hands. Emiko raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms.

"What happened?"

"Well, the first-"

"We're not supposed to say, it's confidential," Sakura interrupted him, "I don't know why, but Tsunade-sama said so,"

"Aa, I forgot," Kankuro scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"We all passed the first two tests so far. We only have to qualify the last," the pinkette continued on thoughtfully. Emiko shrugged her shoulders.

"Can I take a shower, I feel like I haven't bathed for years!"

"Great idea, I'll do that too."

"Temari, just use my bathroom. Sakura can use hers."

"Arigato, Emiko!" they chorused and headed off to the bathrooms.

Neither of the two talked as they heard the doors slam shut. Kankuro leaned back on the couch and propped his feet up on the arm rest, exhaling comfortably. He gladly accepted the fruit his friend tossed to him. Taking a large bite out of the apple, he surveyed Emiko. Finally he decided to ask what he had been thinking.

"So Spitty, what have you been doing all this time? Feeling lonesome without my little brother?"

"I was training." She blatantly ignored the second question, already feeling heat on her ears and across her cheekbones. Kankuro failed to suppress a snicker, which earned him a vicious glare. He quickly closed his mouth and busied himself with finishing the fruit.

They sat in silence once more, the puppeteer fiddled with his apple core. Emiko sighed and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. She had been thinking a lot the night before; she realized that she wanted to _do_ something with her life. _I want to be an ANBU. I don't care where, I just want to be something useful._ She didn't admit to herself that that was something she was vulnerable about. She didn't have a purpose as of yet, but she would _make_ herself be important. She wouldn't be just a waste of space like how she thought of herself at the present.

Emiko thought back to her more recent dreams, the ones that were plaguing her conscience. Those dreams were memories, and nasty things, when she had to fight against hunter-nins or thieves. Whenever she slept the past week, she would dream of memories or nightmares, in this case the memories turned into nightmares and she found herself sweating profusely when she woke up. In the dream, Emiko would watch herself lose control and kill anyone who tried to hurt her. She would use her kekkai-genkai and she wouldn't be able to keep herself in check until she passed out.

Her training with Isamu was going to be a waste of time if she couldn't learn how to control herself. _But how would he know how to control my kekkai-genkai? I'm the last one left. _She frowned slightly at this thought. She needed to be able to keep a hold of herself, she _had_ to. There was no alternative; Emiko needed to have control, at what ever cost. She was desperate. Her dreams wouldn't become a reality.

"Temari always takes forever!" Kankuro growled.

A bathroom door opened and he looked up hopefully. Sakura walked over to the couch, fully dressed and giggled.

"Well you can use my shower," she offered. Without another word he jumped off the couch and sped into Sakura's room. They heard a door slam. Emiko snorted and rested her elbows on her knees.

"So what have you been doing while we've been gone, Emiko-chan?"

"Training with Isamu."

Sakura nodded, she had a far away look in her eyes and she bit her lip slightly. Emiko raised her eyebrows: the other girl opened her mouth uncertainly, wavering between saying what she wanted to say and saying something less… nosy.

"Ano… Emiko-chan, what are you going to do? I don't know why Tsunade-sama didn't let you into the Chuunin Exams this year, but you can do it next year. And… Team 7 is a three-man cell, and Sasuke-kun and Naruto are going to come back, demo…-"

"But what will I do?" Emiko finished for her. Sakura bobbed her head up and down. The orange-haired girl adverted her gaze to the window, the sun was already beginning to set. Sakura knew fully well that Emiko was quiet and serious, just like her teammate, and she knew that she was supposed to either let her speak at her own time or go on with a different topic of conversation. It was quite often that she chose the latter.

She noted with worry her friend's sickly appearance, the darkness around her eyes and her shallow breathing. Emiko was deliberately avoiding her questions but that didn't faze her. Sakura looked out the window, remembering the Chuunin Exams. The third Exam would be, by far, the hardest; just like last year.

"My parents are coming home soon."

Emiko blinked and she directed a quick fierce look toward Sakura. She had no idea that she still had parents. Why was she living by herself then? A strange emotion quivered at the pit of her stomach.

"Nani?"

Sakura looked back at her friend curiously, she seemed almost… angry.

"My parents, they're coming back from a business trip soon."

"You don't live with them."

"Well, they wanted me to become more independent and I wanted to live on my own. They live down the road, above that shop. They wanted me to stay with them, but I wanted to be left alone and we both thought it was for the best. They scold me sometimes, now no one reprimands me and I can do things my way."

Emiko grimaced, and lowered her gaze, her hands were clenched. She could feel anger boil in her stomach, and her back became rigid. Why… why did she do that?

"Sakura… do you understand anything?"

"Nan-?"

The orange-haired girl faced her, her voice dangerously low. Sakura's eyes widened slightly. Emiko was glaring venomously at her, her anger was almost like a physical blow.

"Kami, you are annoying. You complain about your _life_, about your _friends_, about _Sasuke. _You have no idea, you are pathetic. You spend your entire life chasing after ridiculous things. You want to live alone. You still have parents! Why aren't with them? You can't imagine what it's like, even if they yell, it's incomparable. A life of solitude is worth nothing compared to family! Stop trying to make your life worse for yourself."

Sakura gaped at her, unable to think of anything to say. _When was the last time anyone spoke to me like that?_ _When he left? _What had made her so angry anyways? Sakura couldn't comprehend what had just happened, they were talking so pleasantly, and then this… why?

She looked down avoiding her friend's anger. Emiko threw Sakura one last withering glare before walking out of the apartment and slamming the door behind her.


	36. Chapter 36: Understanding the Past

**Yo everyone! Reviews are very, very much appreciated, and I'd be grateful for some more. Thanks as always to greenteamoose. Pretty much everything from here on out has a bigger point to the story. Because this is the start of the ending, and there will be about seven more chapters left or less. **

**Me: Garrr, just disclaim.**

**Hidan: Why the hell do I have to disclaim?**

**Me: Because you're a bastard… and you are Akatsuki. Even if you never show up in this story.**

**Hidan: …Flipping bitch. TheContheDistance doesn't fucking own Naruto. **

**Me: Remind me to cut off your head. **

* * *

"Argh!"

Emiko compressed as much chakra as she could into her hand and slammed it against a tree trunk. The bark broke off and the underlying wood cracked, flying off into random directions. Not even completely destroying the tree was making Emiko aggravated, not that she was too chipper to start with.

"Kuso."

She loaded her fist again with chakra and tried to pack together even more than before. This time the impact seemed to cause a little more damage, but not enough to fell the tree. She didn't have enough chakra or strength to do that, and as it was, she had been attacking anything in her vicinity for a good hour.

"Is it possible that you're getting better at chakra control?"

Emiko sighed dejectedly. Of course Isamu was there, he was _always_ there. _Nani? Is he following me?_ She slumped against the tree trunk and looked up at her sensei. She had spent most of her chakra so she was utterly drained, both physically and emotionally. She sighed again and looked down at the ground.

Isamu frowned; it was in the nature of ninja never to show one's true feelings, especially if it was considered vital to the mission. Regardless of this, Isamu never liked to deceive people when it came to his emotions. Subsequently he was worried about his student and he wanted to make her feel better, in his own way.

"Oi, it's almost time for dinner. How about we get some dumplings, ne?"

"I already had some with Anko."

"That crazy Tokubetsu Jounin? Oh well, we can get ramen instead."

Emiko nodded half-heartedly, she was in no mood to put up with her sensei but there was no point in starving herself if she was hungry. Besides, didn't Temari always say that eating made her feel better when she was in a really bad state? It didn't matter, being annoyed with Isamu would make her forget about Sakura's stupidity. After all, her patience could only be tested so far. And that was a certainty.

The two shinobi calmly gulped down their ramen, both of them trying to ignore the sudden swell of shinobi from the Chuunin Exams and spectators from nearby countries. The older division of the visitors were prone to getting tremendously drunk and starting brawls, which was not in the least bit pleasant. This in itself was not so strange, as it happened wherever and whenever the Chuunin Exams occurred, what was peculiar was that the whole village seemed to be in an uproar, everyone bustling to and fro as if they were on some secret mission. And even the most run down areas of Konoha started to seem cleaner and more hospitable than usual.

Isamu dodged the sake bottle that threatened to split his skull. He raised his own sake cup in a sardonic toast to the bar across the street from Ichiraku's. Tonight was no different in the tourists' drunken tirades. Kami knows that they were going to be like this until the final exam, and then some.

Emiko turned around as she heard a man start intimidating another in an alcohol-induced rant. _He must have been the one to throw that bottle. _Another burly man wearing a Grass hitai-ate calmly walked up to him and punched him in the face. The drunk crashed into a table and skidded onto the floor, yelling curses and anything that came to mind. Once down he stopped howling and fell silent with his face on the floor. The Grass ninja kicked his side and a loud snore erupted from the unconscious body on the ground.

Isamu chuckled into his drink and Emiko snorted. _Baka._ She turned away from the bar and rested her cheek in her palm. Her fingers twitched anxiously and she abruptly remembered the book from the library. The volume that she shouldn't read, that she wasn't allowed to read, but she didn't understand why. The Hyuuga clan's history was allowed to be researched, and she knew that Isamu saw the Hyuuga Clan book even if she did try to hide it from him. But he didn't forbid her to read it; it was only the history of Konoha that was prohibited.

Simply the fact the volume had been forbidden to be read, and the fact that she believed it was chiefly the chapter about the Uchiha Clan had been the cause; a curiosity about that very clan arose. And someone else must have known something about that clan if they were going to mark all those pages. Weren't the Uchiha feared? Granted they didn't have the special form of Taijutsu she wanted to learn, but she didn't understand quite a lot of things about said clan. Sakura told her a lot about the last Uchiha without telling her much about _him_. She spoke about how great he was and how he was so cool, but never about his past or why he left Konoha.

"What...," Emiko trailed off, she didn't know how to ask for what she wanted, "What do you know about the Uchiha Clan?"

Isamu's cup made an unpleasant clank as he set down the sake cup more violently than he meant. He watched the ripples in the sake somberly; he didn't want to answer. It was hard to think about and he had gone to the memorial only a couple of days ago. He didn't get why she wanted to know either. Although Isamu was one to beat around the bush, he didn't like asking questions. He liked answering them.

"Uchiha… ne?" he said quietly, taking a quick gulp from his cup and signaling for another bottle.

"When I was your age or a little younger, I was in a three-man cell just like all the other kids who wanted to be ninjas in the academy. In every team there is two boys and a girl with a Jounin to teach them. There are exceptions but they don't occur very often. In my group, Team 11, was Yamanaka Koto. She was the best of all three of us, easily surpassing me in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. It was surprising that she was one of the best rookies that year, especially because of her attitude towards fighting…

"And then there was Toshiru, of the great and powerful Uchiha Clan. He was strong too, but in a time when there were prodigies in the clan such as Uchiha Shisui and," Isamu's voice became bitter, "_Uchiha Itachi_, he didn't stand out. Being an Uchiha put a lot of pressure on him, you were supposed to be like every other ninja from that clan: cold, powerful, and alone. You were _supposed_ to cut yourself off from the rest of the village. It didn't help that the compound was separated from the village, and the Uchiha weren't very fond of visitors either."

Isamu gulped down the remainder of the sake from his cup and started to work on the new bottle waiting for him. Emiko waited somewhat impatiently, if he was going to get drunk by the end of his speech she wasn't going to take him home. She was going to leave him passed out on the stool. The only reason she was even dealing with him was for the information, now that she was curious about this so-called "great and powerful" clan, she was going to hear everything he was going to say about it.

"Well, Toshiru certainly wasn't like the rest of those assholes. He was quiet, aa, but he cared about his teammates. He was always there for either of us when we needed it. The only reason I became a Chuunin was because of his encouragement. And in the Exams, we made it until the final one only because of him, and he was the only one of all the rookies to make it to Chuunin that year. It was in the Chuunin Exams he acquired the Sharingan," Emiko shifted slightly in her seat, paying closer attention to what he was saying.

"It is said that Uchiha can only claim their kekkai-genkai when they are in a battle or when they are under severe pressure. The Sharingan in its first stage has one tomoe, and eventually grows to have three tomoe. Each comma stands for each type of technique that can be read: Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu. Toshiru also told me of this; the Sharingan can disarm any Genjutsu cast upon its user, as well as see the movement and flow of any person's chakra. I even heard that they can control the flow of chakra with their eyes alone."

"How is that possible?" Emiko frowned. Isamu merely shrugged and waved it off.

"Centuries of breeding, hostile rules and a militaristic view of their own family, I suppose. I never understood the ties they had to their families, and why some many of them would forsake friendship in return for pride. They were forced to be brought up thinking that power was everything and that emotions were only a hindrance. After all, this is the clan that founded the Konoha Military Police Corps.

"… I suppose that's what led Uchiha Itachi to slaughter his entire clan, with the exception of his little brother. I don't think anyone knows the exact reason why he did it. What's the real reason to kill anyone for that matter? But Uchiha Itachi managed to kill his own parents as well as all of his extended family. He even murdered Uchiha Shisui.

"Have you heard of that kid, Sasuke-kun?" Isamu asked curiously.

Emiko shifted again in her seat to look at him in the eye.

"Aa." _More than you know. I know his personality, favorite things to do, all his nicknames for Naruto, and now, why he left Konoha. I never got the details from Sakura. I never knew what his clan was like or that it was his very own brother that massacred their clan._

"Never met him myself," Isamu said, smiling faintly. _Except once. _"But he was the only Uchiha left after the massacre. Your own brother killing everyone you know… it's unimaginable to understand what he went through." _Koto and I, we only had a small fraction of it, and it still hurts. _

Emiko adverted her gaze to the floor. _He was left alone, ne? But he had a choice, didn't he? He choose, and everyone who cared about him was forced to watch. _


	37. Chapter 37: The Plan

**Ohayo! I love your descriptions, greenteamoose, even if you don't like 'em. I got to say, you would be a great beta. You have great plot ideas and you're really good at grammar and spelling. Chapter 37, alright! **

**Me: Disclaim. Someone.… Please?**

**Sora: I'll do it, only because you begged. TheContheDistance doesn't own that idiot main character, or this stupid show, Naruto. **

**Me: Uh, who are you? **

**Sora: Sora. You know, Shippuuden? I'm in the fillers!!**

**Me: Ohh that's why. Sorry Soma. **

**Sora: It's Sora! Idiot! **

* * *

The orange-haired girl sat on the rooftop of her apartment, staring at the midnight sky. Huddled next to her was a small white ball of fur, making the only noise in the hushed night.

She had decided to stay up at night, as a way to avoid her memories. It couldn't be helped in the end, as she would still suffer lack of sleep. At least she wouldn't have any new memories to hang over her head. Emiko wanted to feel closer to Gaara by staying up, it was… reassuring to know that on some other roof in Suna that the redhead was staring at the same sky. She really needed that assurance.

The cat purred as it uncurled itself, stretching languidly and yawning. Emiko gave it a glance and pet its head wearily. She turned back to watching the sky, a sudden breeze stirring an agitated feeling in her muscles. Whenever she would stop moving or _doing_ something, that very sensation would emerge from her feet up, until it completely filled her. For all her analytical skills, and understanding underlying meanings to actions and words, she didn't understand this about herself.

…………………

She stood up, relishing the release and tense of her muscles. She had a feeling that she had been growing recently, and she was taller than Sakura to begin with. In that sense her body was vastly out of proportion because she was abnormally thin and she was still growing taller.

Emiko walked along the edge of the roof, surveying Konoha's streets. At the dead of night everything was pleasantly quiet and still, like anything could break the peace. She liked it, still walking along the roof, Tsuki following for a short distance. The white cat ran off to chase after a mouse, leaving Emiko to her thoughts.

The stores along the street seemed to be brighter and cleaner. There were new decorations lining the windows and banners streaming from one side of the street to the other. Maybe all the villagers felt the need to impress any visiting nations, it sure seemed like it. There was a palpable sense of unease between foreigners and locals, though not nearly the same as the forced civility in Suna. However, everyone managed to forget about all awkward political courtesy during the third exam, though. The general anticipation stampeded any necessary civility and the atmosphere became much less uncomfortable.

It was strange that none of the participants could recount what happened at the Exams. The tasks would change every year, so it didn't make sense that it wasn't permitted to speak of them. Sakura had told her about the last one, and Kakashi didn't seem to care. But Kakashi didn't seem to care about a lot of things. Yet, it helped that she didn't know much about the Chuunin Exams, the less she knew the more her interest grew. She couldn't wait for the final exam.

* * *

"Where were you last night?" Temari mumbled as she shuffled around the apartment, "you missed out on barbeque."

Emiko sighed, rubbing her itching eyes irritably. She snatched an apple from the counter and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I was having ramen with my sensei."

"If you are saying that you would rather hang out with your sensei than with your friends, I'm insulted," she raised an eyebrow and scowled. The other kunoichi made an indifferent noise in response; she managed to successfully avoid Sakura yesterday, and she hadn't caught a glimpse of her so far. Sakura wouldn't qualify as a 'good friend' at the moment.

There was a knocking sound next to the kitchen; Temari opened the door, tugging on one of her ponytails.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed. The Chuunin walked into the apartment, black slumped and hands in pockets; he looked like he was woken up five minutes ago. Shikamaru yawned causing Temari to roll her eyes and mutter 'lazy' under her breath.

"Tsunade-sama woke me up so I could bring you to her office. Troublesome women." He failed to stifle another yawn. Emiko nodded, she contemplated the reason why the Hokage would want to seem them. _It's not a mission, there's only three weeks before the final Exam. _Temari groaned and left the room. They could hear her yell 'Wake up! Baka!' a thud and then yelping. Kankuro staggered out of the living room of Emiko's apartment where he was sleeping and winced as he rubbed his head.

"You need more control of your hormones! Good luck with her, lazy."

"Why you little-" she battered her brother's head with her fan.

"Inconsiderate!-" Smack. "Perverted!-" Smack. "Annoying!-" Smack. "Little brother!"

Shikamaru sighed and muttered 'troublesome'. He was slightly indignant that Kankuro had suggested he and Temari were… he and Temari were… he couldn't even finish that thought in his head. He blatantly ignored the flush on his cheeks as well. _What a pain._

"Oi, Tsunade-sama's expecting us," Shikamaru interrupted Temari's sadistic attack on her brother. He gestured limply to Emiko, who was already half-way out the door. The two siblings sweat-dropped and followed him out.

"You wanted to speak with us, Hokage-sama?" Kankuro asked, struggling to maintain a good image of Suna. It was very hard with several bruises on your face and an evil hormonal sister glaring a hole into your back. She gave a noise in agreement. Emiko folded her arms across her chest and Shikamaru merely looked out the window as he always did.

"Gomenasai Tsunade-sama!" Sakura burst through the doors, looking abashed and drained, "I was late."

The Hokage nodded and leaned forward on her desk, managing to lock eyes with all the shinobi in front of her. Even Shikamaru, pulled himself away from cloud watching to listen to what she said.

"As you all know, the final task in the Chuunin Exams is coming in three weeks. Shinobi from neighboring countries have already started coming through," she gave a quick nod to Temari and Kankuro, "As well as feudal lords and other important people. As customary, every year we hold a festival before the final matches in the Chuunin Exam. I expect you all to go to the festival for more than just entertainment; you each have a purpose.

"Shikamaru," he looked up warily, "you were the only one to graduate to Chuunin last year. You are the village's trump card and you should prove yourself worthy of that title at the festival. Make Konoha look good.

"Sakura. You are my new student, and as my subordinate you need to be the epitome of courtesy and consideration and show what the best kunoichi in Konoha are like. You should associate yourself with other shinobi from other countries.

"Temari, Kankuro, going to the festival is crucial to you both. Gaara has only recently become Kazekage, and quite frankly, many people doubt his leadership. Even the Elders of Konoha are unwilling to weigh too heavily on the treaty with Suna. It doesn't help that Gaara was only a Genin before he was elected Kazekage. You both have to be a symbol of your brother's credibility and restore Konoha's trust in Suna. You must represent both of them well.

"Emiko," Tsunade grimaced, "It is known as a fact that you are a Missing-Nin, and it is known that you have been attracting Hunter-Nins from Kiri to Konoha. The only reason we have not engaged in war with Kiri is the lack of people who know who you are, maybe even the Mizukage doesn't know. Regardless, the Village Council considers you as a concern; you are bringing more trouble to Konoha by staying here. There are troubles, otherwise, about your stability and control. You must prove that you are both respectful and consistent to the Council." _Not to mention that they are willing to exile you from Konoha permanently. _

Emiko's mouth twitched. _What are they going to do to me? This…this isn't fair!_

"This is a very important mission, you must make sure for your village, and your own sake, that you do well. I expect you all to present yourselves well, wear nice clothes and be courteous. Buy new kimonos and yukatas. The festival is in two days, and I expect you all to prove yourselves to be reliable."

………………………

_Why of all people, them? Why Ino? Why Isamu? Why did they have to come along? Why did Tsunade-sama make Temari and Kankuro stay, I wouldn't have had to deal with this if she didn't._

Emiko shuffled alongside the other two kunoichi. This just wasn't her day, it was bad enough with Sakura and_ Ino_, but their sensei's decided to chaperone as well. Kakashi, Isamu and Asuma hung back, talking lowly so the girls in front of them couldn't hear. It didn't matter either way, because Emiko found it hard to even hear herself think above Ino and Sakura's squabbling. There wasn't an end to their argument, it spawned from who Sasuke liked more, to why he liked them more, to their looks, then to their skills as a kunoichi and why they deserved Sasuke's love. Then it started all over again.

"I don't plan on giving up on Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig!"

"Like he would ever be attracted to that shiny forehead, Sakura!" she snapped. Emiko inwardly groaned, this had been maybe the third time she had heard them say that. _Are they ever going to stop?_ She grimaced and sent a withering glare to her sensei. He was the one that wanted her to be more "social", and wanted to com along. She quite frankly didn't care whether or not she was being cold.

"Well you- ne, isn't this the store, Ino?" Sakura forgot her come back and stopped in front of a plain-looking building. The blonde kunoichi stood next to her and put her hands on her hips.

"I suppose that brain is good for something, billboard-brow…. You and your huge forehead first, Sakura." Ino gestured to let Sakura go through the doorway. She stuck her tongue out childishly behind her rival's back anyways. Emiko followed after Ino, shaking her head and wishing she was training.

"Perhaps they'll stop fighting when the world will end?" Isamu suggested. Asuma shook his head, laughing lightly. Kakashi closed his eyes and grinned, he liked being with the other Jounin, and he didn't mind Isamu being there.

"They're way too stubborn to stop. They declared themselves rivals, after all," Asuma grinned. Kakashi chuckled, and leaned into the doorway of the store.

"We'll be outside," he winked and pointed out to the street where the other two shinobi were.

"Hai, Kaka-sensei!" Sakura chirped.

The store owner wilted slightly at the sight of the three kunoichi. They sweat-dropped, and walked away to the racks to avoid her. The lady then dropped her head on the counter and groaned loudly. _Not again, more customers?!_

"Hey Emiko-chan…"

Said girl turned around to see Sakura next to her; she was leafing through the yukata on the hanger and biting her lip. She was trying desperately to bring up their argument they had the day before without making Emiko angry again. All she wanted to do was apologize, maybe explain herself better. And… she had been thinking about living away from her parents. Even before Emiko yelled at her, she had been refusing to admit that she missed them and how she should move back in. Now Sakura was certain that she wanted to move back home, and she was planning on telling them that as soon as they came back.

"What is it?"

Sakura averted her gaze and appeared to be looking at the hangers again. Her eyes widened when she spotted yukata behind Emiko, and she immediately dove for it.

"Emiko-chan, this is perfect for you!"

The summer kimono was pale blue and white, small motifs of black and midnight blue flowers spread across the torso. It was much like a regular kimono, but the lighter, more flexible fabric made it suitable for summertime. The sleeves were cut short to the elbow, allowing more ventilation.

Emiko took the robes from Sakura and looked over it apathetically. She nodded her head and Sakura decided against squealing, in favor of beaming happily.

"This will do."

The orange-haired girl turned away and frowned. She was feeling preoccupied with her thoughts, and her anger at Sakura melted into slight irritation. That was how her angry feelings worked, she always remembered _why_ she was furious, but she didn't keep it on the surface. She held a grudge, or as close to a grudge as she could if it was concerning a friend. But the more her frustration and irritancy were buried, the more those feelings cemented into hatred.

She had been brainstorming plans in her head the past couple of days, and she only came to a reasonable conclusion she liked the night before. Emiko was never a patient person, and it was worse when it concerned _her own _life.

"Ano… is something on your mind, Emiko-chan?"

"…I don't think I can stay in Konoha anymore. I need to train, and I'm not getting stronger here. I want to be an ANBU and its best that I leave so I can get better."


	38. Chapter 38: The Start

**Hey everyone, reading over this story, I got to say it was really badly written, or at least the beginning was. I'm really sorry about that, I really appreciate everyone who stuck with this story, all I can ask is if you can stick around for a couple more chapters! **

**Thanks greenteamoose, you completely make any day un-sucky for me. Like even if I had romantic issues and was sobbing my eyes out (Let's hope that doesn't happen for a good long time because it hasn't happened recently) I'd start hopping up and down after reading your review! You could totally guess everything that happens from here on out but then you might get it right and I'd have to make more plot twists (NOOOO!!). But go for it if you want. ;) **

**Me: Good grief. I need someone to disclaim. Zabuza? Nahh… Wait! I know! Get on over here, you Hyuuga heiress, you!**

**Hinata: H-hai, TheC-ContheDistance-chan. What d-did you ask me here for?**

**Me: Aww Hinata, you rock! …More than Neji at least.**

**Hinata: Y-you shouldn't be mean to N-Neji-nii. H-he's very strong. **

**Me: But he's a prick! I hate him more than Sasori! But nevermind that, can you disclaim for me, please? **

**Hinata: H-hai. TheContheDistance d-doesn't own N-Naruto-kun.**

**Me: Or the show. **

* * *

"Ano… is something on your mind, Emiko-chan?"

"I can't stay in Konoha anymore. I need to train, and I'm not getting stronger here. I want to be an ANBU and its best that I leave so I can get more control."

Sakura's face fell and she looked down; she didn't want to believe it. It didn't matter that this was perhaps the longest sentence she had ever heard Emiko speak. Even if it was softly spoken it still hurt. It didn't matter. It mattered that her friend wanted to leave. It hadn't been so long ago that Naruto left. And before that the boy she declared her love for left as well. They all left for training, and now Emiko would go too? It… it wasn't fair.

"Don't go… Please! Emiko, I know we had our fights, and we haven't known each other for long, demo… but you are my best friend! I don't want to be left here, I don't want to be left behind. Don't leave… Emiko-chan," Sakura whispered.

Ino hummed curiously to herself, _why is Forehead girl talking to Emiko?_ She strolled closer, still pretending to peruse the assortment of kimonos. She peeked between the hangers to see a distraught Sakura. Memories of her now-rival flashed into her mind, and she frowned. Ino sometimes wished that things were different, that Sakura didn't cut her off because of Sasuke. It hurt. More than she really could say, but because Ino was proud, stubbornly so, she refused to admit the extent of the damage it did to her. And now she fought back with all her strength as a rival.

Emiko's expression softened slightly, and when she spoke it was lower, "Sakura… I… It's uncertain if I'll leave yet. But, you will know when if I do."

Sakura's frown deepened. There was hardly any reassurance in her statement, and she wanted to press it further but she highly doubted she'd get very far if she did.

"Oh forehead!" Ino practically crooned, "I can't imagine how long it will take for you to find a kimono that will give you some curves, not to mention, your humongous forehead."

Ino was worried (not that she would ever admit it), Sakura looked close to tears, it didn't matter that she didn't know _why_ her rival was upset, but it did matter that she was. Ino had indirectly helped Sakura by insulting her, if she was distracted by Ino's mean taunts, then she stop being distressed by whatever it was that was causing the problem.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura sputtered, suddenly glaring evilly at the blonde. She replied by glaring defiantly back. A small bolt of electricity erupted between them and Emiko sweat dropped. If she didn't do something fast they might have another never ending argument. The muscle underneath her eye twitched, she needed to intervene. Fast.

"Neither of you have chosen a kimono yet," Emiko interrupted, casting a weary look at the cashier. The older woman was still giving the three kunoichi the evil eye.

They resumed their search for the 'perfect' festival yukata. The orange-haired girl was leafing through the robes thoughtlessly, really just listening for a sound of approval from ones of the other girls signifying that they saw something that would be 'totally cute'. It was only until she could hear a squeal of joy from Sakura that she turned around.

"It's perfect!" she flourished the red yukata in front of her friend and rival. The cloth was made of cotton, the bright red matching her customary dress. The pattern on the fabric was of large white flowers spread throughout the entire kimono.

"You're right forehead, it does suit you! The problem is, it still won't give you any hips."

Emiko groaned inwardly. She _still_ couldn't head off the imminent row between the two rivals. So much for trying.

**...**

"So Isamu, how are you doing with Emiko?" Asuma chortled, providing him a knowing look. Much like his student inside the store, Isamu groaned and scratched the back of his head.

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about it, Kakashi-san."

"Hm?" the ex-ANBU raised his visible eyebrow. Asuma paused a moment to light a cigarette, blowing the smoke out thoughtfully. Isamu chuckled awkwardly, still scratching the back of his head. It was fairly intimidating to his skill level to be conversing so casually with an ex-ANBU captain and one of the members of the Twelve Elite Guardians. He was just a new ANBU recruit after all. It had taken him a long time to convince Sandaime Hokage of his resolve and the leap from Chuunin to ANBU was practically impossible to achieve. Still he managed to do so, and still he wasn't a captain.

"I've been training her on chakra control still, mainly out of selfish reasons I guess. I haven't let her practice her kekkai-genkai or teach her any Ninjutsu. I… I guess I'm scared. I've seen that student of yours, Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun. And I've never seen such a raw hatred in anyone's eyes other than his, but Emiko comes close sometimes. She seems fairly powerful as it is, and… I don't think it's a good idea to teach her more techniques. Maybe some defensive jutsu but nothing else to improve her fighting. Tsunade-sama briefed me on all the details of how the Council feels about her, and it's clear that they don't want her to stay in Konoha. If she proves to be more of a problem they might go as far as to permanently exiling her."

They continued to walk down the street, mulling over the conversation.

"What do you think, Kakashi?" Asuma offered. Kakashi didn't reply as he brought out his orange book and held it in front of his face. It was his thinking tactic, and was frequently using it around his team and people who looked up to him. _He's asking for my advice. But I didn't want to involve myself further. Well, this is a problem. _

"I think you are… right. To an extent. Emiko's not going to take kindly to the fact you want to spend the more time on chakra control. She's impatient and she wants to become stronger."

Isamu frowned, _He didn't really help me at all though. _Asuma chuckled lightly, releasing the cigarette and stepping on it. _Good old Kakashi, he never gives a proper answer. _

"We should turn back now, ne?" the grey-haired Jounin asked coolly. Asuma placed another cigarette in his mouth, chuckling casually.

"Do you really think they'll be ready now?"

Isamu laughed to himself, _Emiko's probably suppressing the urge to throttle them both by now. I knew it was going to be an interesting day when Ino and Emiko met._

"We should probably go back." _Interesting day, indeed. _

**...**

"So you're all done, right?!" the store keeper practically begged. Ino and Sakura sweat dropped, she was crazy alright. Emiko managed to restrain the threatening twitch under her eye.

"Aa," she handed the yukata over to the store keeper and quickly counted out the money she owned her. _I'm almost broke, I might have to ask Tsunade-sama to lend me money. But then the Council would probably think of me as more of a burden. Kuso. _

"Here's the obi that goes with it, and thank you very much!" the store owner, Orimono laid a red cotton obi on the counter, obviously taking great care in smoothing out wrinkles.

"Arigato."

She nodded and pulled out an orange obi with a green thread around the middle. Sakura smiled clearly pleased with what she got, despite Ino's taunts, and paid for her kimono. The blonde stepped up and laid her kimono on the counter. She had taken by far the longest time to pick her yukata, but there was a reason for it. Ino looked good in everything she picked, she had a great sense of color and style and she had a hard time choosing which robe to buy. She settled for an orange kimono with one line of kanji from the bottom to her knee, and there were small white flower petals stitched onto the fabric. The obi was a dark purple, almost navy with a simple bow in the back.

"Arigato, Orimono-san!" Ino and Sakura chimed.

"No, no, _thank you_! …I need some sake," she mumbled under her breath as she shooed them out the door. The sign on the door that said 'KAITSUU' was curtly flipped over to the other side that said 'KURO-ZUDO'. For the third time that day, the girls swear dropped. That shopkeeper was _definitely _crazy.

**………………………………..**

**The little orange-haired girl stared at the gate to the desert. There was such a huge world beyond those gates, it was scary and provoked her curiosity all at the same time. She wondered if her home was beyond that barrier, if there was a family waiting for her out there. She didn't know. She had been having weird dreams lately. She would stand on a hill, watching a fire and she would cry. It felt so realistic to the nine year-old. Her shoulders shook slightly as she tried to stop the flood of tears threatening to spill out. **

"**Emiko-chan!" **

**Her eyes brightened at the sound of Temari's voice, she quickly wiped away any remainder of her unhappiness. **

"**Temari-chan! I didn't see you!" **

"**Sorry Emiko-chan," the blonde giggled, "I had to beat up Kankuro after he tried to scare me. Oi, let's go up to the hill to watch the sunset!"**

**The other girl grinned, following her best friend eagerly. They climbed to the top, sitting in the sand. They could see a little over the entrance to Suna, just enough to be able to enjoy watching the sun sink behind the wall. **

**Temari sighed happily, legs crossed and leaned back. It was a few rare moments a day when she got to be carefree and enjoy herself. Most of the time she was worrying about Gaara and she had to constantly gauge his mood in case he lost control. **

"**Can you believe that next year I'm going to graduate the Academy? I'm going to buy this fan in the weaponry store as a celebration." **

"**You might not pass the graduation exam though," Emiko reminded her. Temari stuck her tongue out childishly. **

"**Hey! You could at least be a bit more encouraging," she scowled, turning back to the sunset, "I still wish you could be in the Academy with me, or at least with Kankuro. For all you know, you could have been the number one student at your old Academy."**

"**It doesn't matter even if I was, I still don't remember anything. Even if you **_**did**_** teach me all the basics." **

**They both sighed.**

"**I bet you would ace the exam. I taught you well!" Temari grinned cheekily. She remembered how all the time she would spend training and practicing jutsu, Emiko would come along. She eventually started teaching the copper-haired girl everything she learned at the Academy. **

**Emiko didn't look convinced. She looked down, sobering almost immediately, **_**I don't even know where I'm from. **_

"**You think you'll ever look for your family?"**

**She turned toward her blonde friend, and nodded. Emiko hugged her knees to her chest, and settled her chin on her arms. Her lip trembled.  
**

"**That means you have to leave though." Temari bit her lip and stood up abruptly.**

"**Hey! Promise me… Promise me even if you **_**do**_** leave, you come back, okay?"**

**Emiko stood up wearily, looking at Temari's outstretched arm. She was holding out her middle and pointer finger, obviously waiting for the unspoken gesture she was supposed to respond with.**

"**Okay?" Temari repeated, her eyes showing anxiety. She straightened her arm, and squared her shoulders. Emiko looked right at her and slowly lifted up her hand to hook her two fingers with Temari's. **

"**I promise." **

* * *

Emiko stepped out into the bright light, shielding her eyes from the sun. _Too bright, way too bright. _The mid-afternoon sun seemed determined to force everyone indoors, irony being that the villagers were hastily making last minute preparations for the festival. She was somewhat surprised that she hadn't noticed the new lights stringing across the streets and the cleaner streets and shops before now.

"Oi! Out of the way!"

A cart jostled past her, pushed by a visibly cross man. He was shouting at everyone to clear the way for him as he headed to the main street.

"Teme." She growled under her breath, she had half the mind to break the wheels on his cart.

"I love seeing your bright and happy face so early in the afternoon."

Emiko inwardly groaned and her eye twitched. He really _had_ to show up every minute of her life. She turned around unenthusiastically knowing full well who it was she would see. Of course, her stalker.

"What, no 'good afternoon Isamu, I'm happy to see you'? You're acting so cold, I consider myself offended."

She gave an unladylike snort. _As if he would really be 'offended' because I didn't wish him a good day._

"Why are you here?" She asked irritably. It was like this every time they saw each other. She would act hassled and annoyed, Isamu on the other hand would act sarcastic and enjoyed making her even more exasperated. It was not a good combination.

"I'm not allowed to see my favorite student? I figured since the festival is a good four hours away we could work on some good old chakra control."

"No. Thank you," Emiko hissed, giving each word its fair share of venom.

"Well what are you going to do for four hours?"

"The library," she replied, shrugging. Isamu chuckled, she quickly regained her glare. He swung a kunai on his finger, still laughing at her comment. Emiko scowled.

"That's really lame, you can't find anything else to do with your precious time? Let's do some nice and easy chakra control."

_Easy and nice for you. Not easy for me. Like hell, I'm going to do more chakra control. _Emiko scowled, disgruntled by the fact that things would never change. _Isamu is always going to be an annoying prick. _

"I'm getting lunch." She forgot to mention that she wanted to go alone. Isamu gave her a cheeky grin.

"I'm in the mood for some dumplings too."

The muscle under her eye twitched as he sped up to walk beside her. Emiko felt like screaming and throwing kunai at Isamu, he was just plain infuriating. _Doesn't he have something better to do, like leave me alone? _

"Itadakimasu!"

The kunoichi gladly popped the dumpling in her mouth, hoping that her sensei wouldn't speak if he was eating. She was probably going to spend the entire day with him now that he was having lunch with her. Emiko highly doubted she'd want to spend time with Sakura, who was probably going to be dancing and yelling at Ino. Temari and Kankuro would be speaking to feudal lords and or special people. She really had no choice but to hang out with Isamu the entire time.

"Isn't it early to be drinking sake?"

"Never too early to have some sake," he chuckled, swishing the liquid inside the cup. Emiko rolled her eyes and bit into another dumpling. It was going to be a long, long day.


	39. Chapter 39:The Festival:Breathe

**PLEASE READ!**** Okay, because the end is very, very close I'm going to put a reminder here. After the last chapter I'm going to put an important author's note. So stick around to read it! Oh and google the Japanese words you don't understand. **

**So this will be an awfully, long chapter. Oh, and expect lots of cheesiness (after all, it **_**is**_** a festival). I forgot to thank AnGeLGIrL156 and xX-Dea-Of-Letum-Xx for favoriting and/ or alerting this story. Thank you! As always you rock, dotmoosedotcom! Yeah, the shop keeper was having a bit of a break down. And Emiko kinda, sort of, really hates Isamu. Thank you so much, Dragon of Twilight, you rock for reviewing! Yeah, Emiko is a wee bit too aggressive... If I could send holographic brownies to all you guys I would! ****IF YOU WANT TO; Listen to "Parade" by Chaba during the italics. **

**Me: I want someone special to disclaim! I know! Someone who's very soul is built thriving on the pein of others! Ladies, and gentlemen, bring your hands together for the power-hungry shinobi, who actually listens to Tobi…. PEIN! (it rhymes!)**

**Pein: Good evening.**

**Me: It's morning. It's actually 1:30 am.**

**Pein: What did you call me here for? I don't have time for trivial matters, I need to plot Konoha's downfall.**

**Me: Come on! You can spare a minute, please?! Can you disclaim?**

**Pein: Ugh. Fine. TheContheDistance does not own the Kyuubi kid's show.**

**Tobi: Peeiiin, let's go get me some bijuu! Byeeeee ConnedDistance-chan!!**

* * *

The main street was stunning; the lanterns glowed warmly in their assorted colors. The night air was warm and fresh with the faint scent of cut grass. All the restaurants and bars were twinkling merrily with their festive lights and streamers. Strains of music could be heard throughout the teeming crowd in the street. Laughter erupted from the many bar stands. Little children ran through the streets, racing each other and popping firecrackers, giggling madly when the small explosion of gun powder scared their friends.

The was a large crow of triumph as one man won the pot in one of the many gambling machines that were brought in (no doubt courtesy of Godaime Hokage). The rest of the people in the store cheered wildly and soon raced back to their own slot machines, their resolve refueled.

"I just love the Chuunin Festival."

Emiko raised a wary eyebrow towards her sensei, warier of his increasing amount of sake consumed rather than his pointless statement. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the bar post. She surveyed the scene coolly, spotting Sakura chatting animatedly with Ino almost immediately. They were on the edge of the designated 'dancing area' and seemed to be debating whether or not to join in. Emiko was glad she was much farther away from the people moving to the light-hearted music. The last thing she wanted to do was dance, and she'd rather stand next to her increasingly drunk sensei, even though that wasn't much higher on the list.

"Sorede?"

She sighed as he downed another shot. This was just getting pathetic. Emiko had seen Isamu drunk once before and that was when he was talking about his old Genin team. When he passed out, she left to go home without him.

"Ne, I wish the Kazekage was here," she stiffened as he mentioned Gaara, "I've been hearing rumors that this kid was going to be here for the final exam, and what a let down! I wonder what he's like. I heard all these rumors like he was a monster and crazy and stuff. I bet he's just some dumb kid. The Kazekage's been pinned as a figurehead for decades."

Isamu laughed to himself, signaling the bar keeper for another shot. Emiko clamped her mouth shut, her jaw clenched. Her fists shook slightly as she tried to control herself.

"What do you know?" she spat maliciously, she was failing to control her flaring temper. Isamu raised an eyebrow and gave her a humorous grin. She glared at him murderously, still struggling to suppress her killing intent. What she wouldn't give to be able to send Isamu to the grave that very moment…

"Ne, you know the Kazekage?" he slurred slightly at the end of his question, smiling still. He swung around on his bar stool so he could watch the crowd of people passing through the street.

Emiko scowled as she felt the heat intensify in her ears and along her neck. She briefly considered telling her sensei that she had romantic feelings for the red-head and she was his pseudo-girlfriend. But then again that didn't sound very impressive. He never _had_ been really clear about his feelings. Sure, they had kissed each other and Gaara had the faintest bit of red dusting his cheeks when they said goodbye, but did that really mean anything?

The copper-haired kunoichi blamed Isamu for bringing it up, for making her feel vulnerable. She could barely speak she was so angry. He had no right to make her feel like a stupid little girl with a crush, he had no right to speak about Gaara in front of her. Not only that, but he was insulting Gaara! He was drunk and obviously not in control of himself, but that didn't mean anything to her in the slightest.

Emiko turned away from the crowd, not bearing to watch people laugh. Her asshole of a teacher was still chuckling under his breath and he reached for the new shot glass the bar keeper gave him. Emiko snatched it from his hands, and glared straight at the bar keeper until he met her gaze frightfully. She slammed the cup down in front of him, making it fracture into tiny pieces.

"Don't give him anything else to drink. Got it?" she snapped. The bar keep put up his hands defensively, delivering a quick apology. He cleaned the mess, muttering indignantly about how he didn't know if his customers had drinking problems.

"Why'd you take the drink away?" Isamu asked blearily, his mouth crumpling into what would be a pout. Emiko glared daggers at him, daring him to continue complaining. His pout deepened at her expression, _If looks could kill…_

"Touchy…" he mumbled under his breath. He tapped his foot in beat to the music which had gotten louder as the sun completely disappeared from the horizon. Emiko turned around to face the street again, and was surprised to see that a good portion of the street was moving to the sound of the music playing.

--

More people made way for an ever crowded dance floor, creating more room for the swaying bodies. Sakura and Ino had managed to drag a dark-haired girl into the crowd of moving people despite all her soft-spoken protests. They had even managed to make the pale-eyed girl loosen up a little, though they could do nothing to diminish the heavy flush in her cheeks. Tenten joined them and pointed out a brown-haired Genin who was causing a ruckus with his large white dog, causing all the girls to laugh.

--

Temari giggled at Shikamaru's unenthusiastic response. He had always been lazy, and he complained when he announced that he was supposed to accompany the two Sand siblings to the festival. Kankuro was slightly suspicious that this wasn't an order from the Hokage and Shikamaru just wanted to hang around his big sister. His eye twitched and he gagged at the image that popped inside his head.

"What were you thinking?" Temari asked him skeptically, danger lacing her tone of voice. Kankuro gulped, mindfully keeping an eye on the fan that his sister carried. He should say it, shouldn't he? It wouldn't hurt. They needed to get over it and just get together, right?

"I was wondering if I looked good with my new make up," he replied hastily, touching his face. It had been a last minute decision to change his face make-up for the festival. The purple paint ran down his nose and chin, as well as circling under his eyes.

Temari sighed, narrowing her eyes and clearly not believing him. Oh, he would be in for it later. Shikamaru yawned, mumbling 'troublesome'. He had an inkling of what the puppeteer had been thinking and definitely did not want to pursue it.

--

"Why are you so worried? I'm not drunk," Isamu sighed loudly, leaning against the bar. Emiko scowled, _Yeah, _a_nd I'm in love with Kakashi. He's not getting anything more to drink or else I'm cutting off someone's arm. And now I have to baby-sit him all night. Troublesome bastard._

"Why don't you go out and dance… like the rest of the girls?" Isamu asked slowly. His brow was furrowed in concentration as if he was thinking about something of great importance. Maybe he was genuinely confused.

Emiko crossed her arms, staring resolutely at the dance floor. She would never, ever dance, especially when she could spot a head of bright pink and yellow in the crowd. Besides she had to watch her _sensei_ in case he started an alcohol-induced brawl.

Emiko couldn't even deduce how the other kunoichi were able to move in their kimono. Not only where they practically impossible to get into (Temari had to assist Emiko through the whole procedure) but it was hard to walk in them, and forget about running. Dancing was out of the question.

It didn't help that Anko had cornered her right before the festival while Isamu left her for some reason. It was unfortunate he wasn't there, because he would have enjoyed the situation tremendously.

_"Hey, Emiko-o!" _

_The orange-haired girl turned around only to be tackled onto the ground, her face pressed against the cool stone. A woman sat on top of her, straddling her back and leaning her elbow on the younger girl's head._

_"Anko?" Emiko managed to wheeze as the feeling of suffocation set in. The Tokubetsu Jounin was notorious for her curvy figure and she certainly was not the lightest person in the world. Anko clearly didn't seem to care though, as she didn't budge at all, even when Emiko turned her head enough to glare at her._

_"You're going to the festival, right?!" she yelled into Emiko's ear. The younger girl growled something incoherently. Anko leaned over again, but to no success._

_"Nani?!" _

_"I am, so get off!"_

_Anko leaned back, taking her elbow off Emiko's head and pouted. She scratched her chin thoughtfully, still sitting on top of the girl. Emiko assumed that either the woman had an overdose of sugar or she had finally lost it. _

_ "Aa! I know what to do with that hair!" she exclaimed happily as she leaned over again. Emiko looked at the woman out of the corner of her eye incredulously; __**what is she doing? That proves it; she's gone mad.**__ Anko seized most of the orange hair and tied a rubber band around it. She let out a cheer, and got off her back._

_"It's perfect!"_

_Emiko sat up, rubbing feeling back into her chest and taking deep breaths. When she felt that her organs were all in their proper place and nothing was internally bleeding, she looked at Anko dully. __**She's like a little kid.**__ The brown-haired Jounin placed her hands on her hip proudly, grinning cheekily. She held out a mirror so Emiko could see what she did. _

_"I look exactly like you," Emiko replied monotonously. __**Does she carry a mirror with her everywhere?**__ She shook her head, earning a scowl from Anko as she reached up her hand to undo the spiky bun._

_"No way, maggot! You are wearing that to the festival, damn it!" She yelled as she stomped down on Emiko's hand. She bit back a yelp, Anko had stomped on it really hard and now she was slowly crushing her fingers. Emiko clenched her teeth and glared at the woman sourly. _

_"Fine." She shoved Anko's boot of her hand, nursing it._

The crowd of people dancing slowed a little as the song died down. Strains of shamisen and koto wafted through the air as someone yelled 'Pareedo!' and a few people cheered. The dancing resumed as the tempo increased, the foreigners and locals laughing heartily and moving to the beat. The coarse formalities were forgotten, just as the festival had intended.

"_Kaze ga fuite ara, itai kienai omoi  
nani omote koka, atsumete hitotsu  
mireto nai, mireto nai  
shiteru nante baka mitai  
mujeki ni nante ara  
imeeji…"_

A couple of people began to sing along with the rest of the song. It must have been a popular song to play at festivals considering everyone seemed to know it. The dancers seemed to become more frenzied as the song played on. A distinct spiky head of purple-brown bounced and swayed to harmony part of the shamisen in the middle of the crowd.

Matsuri giggled with a new friend of hers, away from the rest of the crowd. At the restaurant next to them, a group of Chuunin surrounded a boy were green spandex. The shinobi were egging him on and they cheered uproariously as the very drunk Genin downed another shot. The pale-eyed Genin next to him shook his head arrogantly.

"Ne, there's a better view from the roof. Go up there," Isamu sighed serenely, the bemused smile on his face widened a little as three kids lit another firecracker. Emiko frowned, she hated it when he ordered her around. He always acted so high and mighty, and he was anything but that. Then again, being able to watch the festival from the roof would give her the opportunity to keep an eye on Isamu without having to actually converse with him. And when the fireworks would start she'd be in the perfect position to watch them.

Emiko nodded to her sensei and hopped to the roof of the bar, completely ignoring the bar keep's indignant 'Hey!'. The roof was angled at the sides with metal grooves, then leveled in the middle. She moved to the middle, looking over the teeming street, she could see Asuma standing with a crimson-eyed woman, both of them talking light-heartedly. They laughed, red rising in their cheeks. At another bar closer to the Hokage Tower, Tsunade was playing cards with a couple of feudal lords, much to Shizune's dismay. Anko had stopped dancing and was at the same bar as the Hokage, chattering to a grey-haired shinobi that looked suspiciously like Kakashi.

"_Raino mune kogase, senbon yume watare  
juwo mujin kakete, me wuni aru kiseki  
kumo ga chikirete, hin ga mata hochi de  
futatsu no pare-do ga, yosore hito gete…"_

She winced as the light wind blew something in her face. Emiko rubbed at it, feeling irritated that sand had just gotten into her eye. Her heart skipped a beat and thudded against her ribcage. _Sand…_She could feel her heart suddenly go into overdrive, beat erratically as she hazarded a look at the floor of the roof. Right next to her foot was a tiny mound of sand, stirring in the wind. She barely heard the lyrics stop in the song and the instruments getting softer, only a few plucks of a koto could be heard. The sand lifted of the ground, swelling and flowing with the wind.

Not knowing why she was doing so, Emiko jumped down from the roof into an alleyway beside the bar, following the trail of sand. The strumming of the instruments suddenly got louder, along with the fierce thumping of her heart. She was jogging at first, but as the sound of the instruments became ever louder, her pace increased and she was running as though her life depended on it. She turned the corner sharply, watching the sand drift of into the night sky with the wind.

Emiko wrapped her arms around him tightly, her heart felt like it had burst from happiness. He was _there_, he was real. She could feel his arms uncertainly wrap around her back. _Gaara…_She could hear him say her name quietly, and she held him a little tighter.

"_Daremo ga hou de iru  
boketo nishizure, tairu ga aru  
soitsu kobasu yawa ni  
teo no bashite wa, oiyo na hito  
mittsu ke raru hanada ii  
rarata nokashi kitto  
konachi motto…" _

They walked back slowly, only speaking to tell each other the main events that had happened in their time away from each other. He had been working hard to win over the rest of the council, and it seemed to be paying off, if only a little. He was trying to change some of the laws the previous Kazekage had set up.

She had only told him a little of what had happened: she hated her new sensei Isamu, she was born in the mist village and she refused to return there. Emiko didn't want to tell him about the Hunter-Nins or the Elders, he didn't need the stress. And she liked using an excuse to avoid thinking about her problems.

"So are you here for the final exams?"

"Konoha's council scheduled meetings everyday until the end of the Chuunin Exam," Gaara sighed, wearily eying the jostling crowd of people. Emiko frowned, if there were meetings the chances of seeing him were practically nonexistent. Not only that, but if what Isamu and Tsunade-sama said was true then Gaara was going to have an even harder time trying to convince the Elders to trust him.

The Kazekage was troubled though; it was no secret that the Akatsuki was after the tailed bijuu but they had been laying low ever since Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame appeared in Konoha. It was unnerving to know so little about the organization, from their resources to how many Jinchuuriki had been captured so far, it was all a mystery. Their inactivity had only made them more suspicious.

"… There will be plenty to discuss in the upcoming days."

The loud crack of gunpowder signaled everyone to the sky where the large fireworks were displayed. The green Hidden Leaf symbol flashed in the sky, several silver sparklers followed. The crowd gasped and sighed appreciatively, the locals from Konoha cheering loudly. Golden sparked in the sky as the symbol of Suna appeared and the visitors from the Wind country were in an uproar. Each of the participating villages cheered for their own symbol as the fireworks exploded brilliantly.

Emiko uncertainly held Gaara's hand, checking to see if he uncomfortable. She could see a faint ghost of a smile on his face as he looked at her. They turned back to the sky as the finale of fireworks started, the crowd applauding gladly at the end.

* * *

**Emiko stepped lightly into the pond, dipping her tiny hands into the water with a small smile. It felt good to her, and even though the air was as misty as ever the water seemed to almost cool her warm skin. The shallow water barely reached past the heels of her feet, but a strange sort of calm filled inside her that was unexplainable. She moved further in, the water rising to her calves and soaking the hem of her pants. The current washed over her hands, the tingling feeling spreading from the tips of her fingers to her palms. The small girl closed her eyes, walking further into the pond until the water was up to her knees. **

**Her eyes widened slightly as she looked down. Emiko lifted her hands automatically, the water spilling from them but not falling into the pond. She spread her hands apart and the water hanging in the air rose between them, twisting and stirring like a living thing. Her body began to tremble as the liquid sphere began to freeze in her hands into ice.**

"**Oi!" **

**The ice sphere splashed back into the pond as the man grabbed her arm. Emiko yelped as he dragged her to the bank and shook her roughly. **

"**Look at this disgusting thing, Yujimaru! This little rat has a kekkai-genkai!" the man snarled as he twisted her arm. The orange-haired girl screeched in protest as the other man came towards them. **

"**Yoichi, we need to get back. Leave the little monster alone so we can go home to Gatou-sama, you know how impatient he gets." **

"**Go ahead without me, I need to teach this little shit how it feels to have everything stolen from you." He held her arm in a steel grip and twisted it again, Emiko bit her lip to keep from screaming. Yujimaru turned around indifferently, unsure of whether he should wait and help clean the mess or leave that to Yoichi. **

"**You're just another tool, you little bitch; you're just another monster used to kill good people. All of you people should die, you and **_**your kind**_** killed my children and my family. The only reason for your existence is death and for that reason alone, you should die!" Yoichi seized her throat with both hands and began to crush her windpipe.**

"**Stop, please stop! Onegai!" Emiko managed to gasp out. Her hands clutched at his arms, her vision growing hazy as she tried to breathe. She could distinctly feel the water churning between her toes and the tingling sensation swelling in her body. **_**What… what is this feeling?**_

**"It'll be good when you're dead, monster. No one will have to see those creepy eyes of yours again and no one will die because of you."**

**Emiko could barely recognize what was happening, she could hear the man scream as he let her go. He stumbled backwards, yelling in pain as the ice cut through his arm, the blood spraying across the water. Yoichi grabbed her arm, eyes blood-shot and bulging. Emiko's eyes widened as a large shard of ice shot through the man's chest, blood spilling from his mouth and body. Yoichi fell back onto the bank of the pond, gagging as more blood was forced through his mouth. **

**The little girl walked out of the water robotically. She looked at her trembling hands, her thoughts horribly blank. There was so much blood on her hands. There was too much. **

**"You little bitch!" Emiko's head shot up as she saw Yujimaru running towards them. She jumped up and ran as fast as she could, dimly hearing the man scream threats to her retreating figure.**

**"You'll pay, monster! Die! Die, you little bitch!" **

_**I need to leave! I need to leave! He said I'll pay! They'll kill me! Kami, I'm scared! He'll kill me! **_**Her breathing was irregular and intense, her frantic movements conveying her fear. Emiko ran to the hill overlooking Kirigakure, that was her only way out of this mess. She needed to save her family from Yujimaru, if he knew she lived there he might kill them. **

**The night was abnormally clear, the typical mist had burned away during the evening. She climbed to the edge, grasping the broken and rusting fence for support. The backpack straps bit uncomfortably into the skin of her shoulders. **

**"No!" **

**The thick smell of smoke caught in Emiko's lungs, and her eyes widened. Her home was in flames, everything was on fire. She couldn't breathe. **_**Okaa-san! Otou-san! No! **_**She couldn't stop the fire, and it had been all her fault. Even at her age, Emiko never understood one thing so clearly before; her parents were dead, and it was entirely her fault. Her family was dead because of her. She as good as killed them with her own hands. **

**Pain shot through her legs as she ran away from her home, from her parents, from her guilt. She couldn't breathe; it felt as though a weight had been placed on her chest. It wouldn't be easy to breathe again. **


	40. Chapter 40: Everything Ends

**Disclaimer : TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.**

* * *

Emiko shot forward, panting heavily and trying to calm the fierce beating of her heart. She stayed in that position, her mind barely beginning to process her dream. Not a dream… memory. Her hands balled into fists and she clenched her jaw. _It was all my fault. My fault, my fault. _Her arms shook as she clutched the blankets. Emiko grabbed the pillow and smothered her face. Her voice was hoarse and distressed.

"Fuck!"

The silence echoed disturbingly throughout the empty apartment. Temari and Kankuro had moved out the day before, planning on staying with Gaara in the Hokage Tower. She had her own room back, and there was no one to bother her, but…

Emiko threw her pillow at the wall and stormed out of her room, down the hall and out of the apartment building. She needed to do something, anything to get her mind off all this. _Library…_ The copper-haired girl ran down the street, drawing strange looks and indignant shouts. She ignored all of them; those remarks barely even registered to her at the moment. She couldn't think about anything and she didn't want to remember, but her brain had a funny way of doing the exact opposite of what she wanted.

...

Emiko scowled, it wasn't there because Isamu had moved it. She sighed, grinding her teeth and trying to recall what he had done. _"I don't think you should read this anymore."_ She reached for the top shelf to find the spine of a book, and pulled it down quickly.

"No." The book fell unceremoniously to the ground. She grasped for another one, which soon accompanied the first on the floor. Three more books fell to the ground, each failing to be what she was looking for.

"No. No. No." The books thumped loudly as they hit the floor. Her expression hardened as fewer and fewer volumes filled the top row. _It should be here! I remember he put it here on the top row! _She froze, the last book from the shelf in her hand.

_**"I don't think you should read this anymore."**_

_No! He didn't! Fucking bastard! Why? He had no right! What is he playing at? Did he take the book just so I wouldn't read it?! _ Her hands shook violently and she stood up straight. It was because he was preventing her from doing what she wanted to do, that was the real problem. She grew up learning to depend on herself, and she did what she wanted. Isamu had no right to butt into her life and start deciding what would be best for her. For that, she was furious.

Emiko was at the end of her line with him. He fucked up with the Hunter-Nin who was trying to kill _her_, he insulted the Kazekage, and he had taken away this book just because she was reading it. Isamu always wanted to get on her last nerve, and now he had finally done it. For once, Emiko _wanted_ to see him.

**…………………………….**

"I figured you'd be here sooner or later. You'll never stop training even if it would kill you. Silly little Emiko," Isamu chided her humorously. He twirled the kunai around his finger, looking at the clear sky. He was at the training grounds again, and he had expected her to come. But he couldn't read the anger flaring from his student. He never _was_ good at reading her mood, and his teasing was always taken the wrong way.

"I suppose we could do some more chakra control, unless you think that you're too good for it?" he continued, the sarcasm dripping from his remark.

"No," Emiko spat "No more chakra control. Fight me."

Isamu raised his eyebrows, he couldn't really believe it. She wanted to fight him, her sensei? Well, she did seem a little cranky, so letting her vent her anger wouldn't be so bad. He had seen her do that before, she hit tree trunks and trained hard as an outlet for her anger. Emiko just wanted someone to fight her back and Isamu didn't mind doing so.

"Alright, but it can't go on too long, I can't spend all day indulging your cranky side. Besides the festival is going to be pretty soon."

"It won't take long," she sneered. Emiko dashed towards Isamu, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. He easily blocked her punch, ducking below her arm to shove her backwards. It was a light push, which didn't floor her. Emiko glared at him; he was holding back. She raced toward him again, appearing behind Isamu and kicking his legs out from under him. Smoke blew up where his body was, and once the billow cleared she could see a pile of logs. Emiko's eyes widened, _Body substitution?! _

"Don't talk big until you've won!"

A barrage of kunai flew toward Emiko, she evaded them all easily and threw her own in his direction with an explosive tag hanging from the handle. She couldn't hear Isamu's movement when the paper blew up, and she quickly jumped up to a tree branch to be able to listen for any evidence of his location. _Relax, relax! Think calmly! Breathe!_

"Boo."

Isamu was knocked back by her punch, even if it didn't have much strength, it still was too fast for him to evade. He quickly made a seal in mid-air and leaves swirled around his body. Emiko cursed again, it was like a game of hide and seek; he kept hiding and running away from her.

She could hear a twig suddenly crack. _There! _ She steadied herself on the branch and launched herself towards Isamu. He was three branches below her and was in full view. Emiko threw three kunai as she plummeted toward him which he blocked with a senbon needle. She kicked his head which he blocked with his arm causing her to stand upside down. Emiko put her hands on the ground to steady herself and used her other leg to kick his chest. Isamu skid backwards on his feet, coughing slightly.

"Stop holding back!"

"You could get hurt if I actually tried fighting seriously, Emiko."

"Fuck you!" she screamed, running towards him, she made to punch him but he quickly blocked it and retaliated with a kick. He wasn't using any chakra to power his moves, but it would still hurt if it made contact. Emiko dodged his leg and punched the side of his stomach. She could predict his next move as he jumped up in the air to knock her back with both of his feet. She moved beside him and threw her heel into his stomach, causing him to fall down to the ground.

"So why are you fighting, Emiko?" Isamu chuckled, blood ran down the corner of his mouth, "What do _you_ want to accomplish? What is your purpose?"

"Shut up!"

Emiko glared at him, her murderous intent spiking dangerously. He stood up wearily, the bemused smile plastered on his face. Isamu lifted his arms up, nodding his head serenely. Emiko could feel the pressure on her eyes, and the ring around her pupils appeared. She lifted her hands up in a seal, feeling the anger pulse in her blood. She could feel the familiar feeling thrumming in her body, as her chakra suddenly swelled. _This jutsu…it gives me power. It gives me control._ Both of them were bleeding and breathing heavily.

"Come."

Isamu sped forward; he had decided that he wouldn't use offensive Ninjutsu or chakra to power his attacks. He honestly didn't want to hurt his student. Emiko blocked his punch and he caught the kick she was going to drive into his chest. She smirked slightly, twisting her body so she could thrust her elbow into his stomach. Isamu leaned away, using both of his arms to throw her backwards.

He was becoming frustrated despite his bond with his student, but she didn't understand that she couldn't live this way. She couldn't go around challenging anyone just because she was angry. She couldn't be that reckless if she wanted to stay in Konoha. Emiko didn't realize that the Elders had the power to execute her if they deemed it to be suitable. She needed to let people save her!

"Don't get arrogant!" he reminded her, flashing a small smile. Emiko threw her fist towards his stomach but he knocked her arm away and held onto it, she twisted herself around so she could kick him. Isamu kicked the leg away and tried to shove her away. Emiko blocked it and hit the arm holding hers so he would let it go. Their fight became fiercer as she unrelentingly renewed her attacks on him, and he would block and push her away. Fist to the jaw, he blocked then tripped her, she uses the momentum to drive a punch into his stomach. Her movements were a blur; his were slower with more power.

"There is a reason I won't to teach you Ninjutsu, ne? You don't need to know it!"

Emiko snarled, _He's trying to stop me from getting stronger?! Fuck him!_ She caught his kunai and threw it back at him. It wasn't training to her from the beginning: she considered it a real fight. And it was going to end as a real fight.

"You just don't get it, do you? You won't listen. You don't need to do everything by yourself. When there were those Hunter-Nins, _I saved your life_! _I saved you!_"

"Shut up!"

Emiko clenched her teeth. She didn't want him to save her, she could do it herself! He was making her feel vulnerable all over again, and she couldn't handle it. She couldn't let him get to her like this. _"I saved you!"_ She couldn't be in his debt, she couldn't let herself be powerless. She couldn't have people save her, especially Isamu. Emiko wanted him dead because she saved her.

She blocked his arm and threw the other arm to his side. Emiko focused the chakra to her hand and slammed her palm against his chest. She could hear a faint cracking noise from his rib cage. His back slammed against the tree trunk and he could feel blood running down his neck. The breath was knocked out of his chest, and he coughed up blood. _Juuken? But only a Hyuuga…_His head hurt and blood stained his dark blonde hair. He couldn't breathe. _Does everything end like this? Does everything end?_

"…I saved you…"

Isamu could feel the kunai rip into the side of his chest. And he could see his student standing in front of him, her eyes wide and livid. He smiled to himself, the blood running down his chin. _It's going to be hard to clean all this blood up. It can't be helped._

_I… never took her seriously. _

**……………………**

Emiko stood in her room. She saw the blood on her hands, just like the day her family died. So much blood. The red and orange light from the setting sun filtered from the window, coloring everything in her room the same red on her hands. Her mind was blank, filled with nothing, no emotions or thoughts. Nothing. How would she be able to process what she had done, especially after what she had remembered the night before?

Sakura was going to come home soon. Emiko figured she might as well wash the blood off her arms and body, it made her feel like throwing up again. She could still taste the vomit in her mouth. But she only had a couple of minor wounds, nothing important. She grabbed the towel lying on her bed and walked to the bathroom.

If Sakura came over on an impulse… no, Emiko didn't even begin to think over that situation. It couldn't happen. It wouldn't happen.

The red liquid washed away with the water, all the evidence of what she had done drifting away with it. Emiko stared vacantly into the sink, watching her skin become its normal color and the blood flowing down the drain. She robotically washed her wounds and dressed them, not a single thought floated through her mind. It was just blank.

Emiko walked to her bed again, transfixed by the clean order of the sheets and pillows. She could feel with a strange clarity the weight of the Konoha hitai-ate on her arm. There was a disturbing feeling in the pit of her stomach, it was wrong for her to wear a symbol of loyalty for a village she didn't belong in. The weight felt foreign to her, as if it was too heavy. She couldn't handle that weight anymore.

The hitai-ate slipped through her fingers, bouncing once before it rested on the bed. The colorful rays of sunlight glinted off the metal; the engraved leaf symbol seemed to be outlined in sunlight. The Hidden Leaf Village, filled with light. It must have been because the festival had already started. Everyone was probably already there. Maybe Sakura wouldn't come home before the festival was over. Was Gaara in meetings still? She wanted to see him… just one more time, but she wasn't going to risk it.

**…………………………….**

It was unfortunate that she decided to take the route out of Konoha that ran close to the festival. She was a fool for hoping to see him one last time. There would be no good of it. Yet, as she found herself jumping from rooftop to rooftop she could make out a lone figure standing on a roof above the main street. Emiko cursed to herself; obviously he knew she was there. Gaara was one of the best shinobi she knew of, and she probably wouldn't have made it past him even if she was concealing her chakra.

"Emiko…"

Gaara. She could hear the sand blowing behind her from his Shunshin no Jutsu. Emiko sighed, letting herself relax and breathe deeply. She couldn't get out of it now, certainly not, but at least she could try to prolong it as long as possible. She cautiously turned around, desperately hoping that it wasn't him. Of course, nothing was going the way she wanted to that day.

"Gaara…"

His eyes fell to the backpack sitting on her shoulders and his brow furrowed. The music from the streets below them didn't reach her ears. He had moved far away enough from the main street that they couldn't hear the shouts and laughter from the festival.

"You're leaving."

Emiko cringed at the tone in his voice; it was a monotone, callous and bitter, but the hurt was still there.

Gaara refused to let it happen to him _again_, he refused to be abandoned. He was getting better, wasn't he? He was opening himself up to his family and other people, his emotions were easier to get hold of now. But she… she was the reason he was able to create bonds. Emiko was going to be his first real bond: she was going to be the reason for his existence! It just wasn't fair to take that away!

"…I need to go, I… don't have control here. I don't have a purpose."

She looked at him, desperation gleaming in her eyes. She couldn't stay here anymore, her time was spent. Emiko gripped the hem of her shirt, her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Why couldn't he understand her?

"Is that all there is?"

"No… I-I… I _have_ to leave!" their gazes interlocked, "…I'll come back. Please… don't send anyone after me. I need to realize if my reason for existing. I need this."

Gaara's eyes widened, it still was a shock to hear someone say his thoughts aloud. His existence... it couldn't rely on just one person, he had learned that the hard way, hadn't he? _Yashamaru_… people were so unpredictable and Gaara couldn't let himself be deceived again. But maybe, just one more time, he could fool himself into believing a promise. Uzumaki Naruto would do that, right? For Emiko, one girl that had managed to make her way under his armor, he could try.

And if he was Kazekage, his existence really was to protect every person in Suna, down to the smallest child. He would protect him with all his worth and maybe the pain of loneliness would ease a little. There was Temari, and Kankuro, and obviously Uzumaki Naruto. Maybe the hurt in his chest would lessen, if only a little. It would be hard to let her go, but… she had helped Gaara reach himself, hadn't she?

He turned around, all Emiko could see was his back. She didn't understand it, moving forward hesitantly. She always _was_ good at reading him. She lowered her gaze, stepping away from him sorrowfully. _So that's the way it is…_There was a rustle of leaves as she vanished into the evening air.

"Thank you… Gaara."

..

Emiko climbed up the cliff side, pausing a moment to take in a final look at Konohagakure. The dying rays of sunlight hit the Hokage Mountains, coloring each of the faces, including Tsunade's. The hair and facial features were complete, and it would only take a half year to finish it entirely. The entire village was lit for the festival, even as far away as she was, she could still see it. Konoha was beautiful.

"_Sakura, I am sorry for offending you," Emiko said slowly as she walked into Sakura's room. Her words weren't completely sincere; Emiko didn't want to be bothered with a temper tantrum from the medic. It would be very annoying to deal with. She knew Sakura wanted to talk about him, she always did. But Emiko had been rude, insinuating that she didn't actually love Sasuke, and that she was a moron for following him around._

_The pink-haired medic was sitting on her bed, twisting some of her hair unhappily. She looked so vulnerable right then, as if one small push would be all it would take to send her over the edge. It was disheartening to see Sakura in such a fragile state. Emiko sat on Sakura's bed and looked at her calmly, not portraying the exhaustion she felt._

"_Tell me about Sasuke."_

_The medic raised her head, her eyes wide with astonishment. She hadn't expected Emiko to ask about him and she really didn't know where to begin. Sakura took a hesitant breath before recounting the first day that Team 7 was formed. She let herself laugh and cry about all the good times she had with her teammates, with __**him**_**. **

_Emiko listened to all she had to say, from Sasuke to Naruto to Kakashi-sensei. She smiled when Sakura told her the story of what had happened when the three of them tried to see what was under Kakashi-sensei's mask. Emiko closed her eyes as the medic continued to tell her about the day he left, feeling a strange heaviness weigh on her chest. __**Sakura, I promise you… if I ever find Sasuke, I'll bring him back for you. **_

She looked down, her hand untying the fabric headband and looking at it. Emiko pulled her hair back and tied the cloth around it, the bangs framing her face just the way Anko had done it for the festival. It was time for a change, she decided. She turned back to give Konoha one last look. Could it be… maybe it wasn't the only place where everything ended for just her. Maybe other people had lost everything in Konoha. It was just a shinobi village but …When it came down to it, Konoha was at the very core. Emiko walked over the mountain ridge, away from the Village Hidden in Leaves.

Away from where everything ends.

You are my friend_  
Aa, ano hino yume, ima demo mada wasuretenain deshou?  
_You are my dream_  
Aa, hajimete bakka, kimi wa _my long lost friend_  
_whoa_, ima tabidatsu yo!_

Thank you my friend!_  
Aa, ano hi no koto, ima demo mada oboeteru kara  
_You are my dream  
_Aa, mou kondo koso mamoru _my way_  
_whoa, the distance!

.

.

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**The End.**


	41. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

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**Start: **2/16/08

**Finish: **8/16/08

..

Thank you so much for reading my first story, Breathe for Everything Ends. This story ended up being over 100 pages and took 6 months to complete! I am really happy its done and I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story, even if they aren't reading it anymore.

**-StarChaser37 -Lighting Wings -Demongirl758 -J1210 -moonchild524 -MioneRocks**

–**Saki-Animeluver97 –Misfit band geek –Substitute Shinigami –Mistress Persephone –mei doragon**

**soccercrazyfreak- Thank you for all the reviews you wrote!**

**Dragon of Twilight – Thanks, you helped finish the story!**

**Readerfreak10- You totally rock! Thank you so much for all your reviews!**

To anyone else who reviews now, thanks so, so much!

The award for the most awesome reviewers ever!!

**Mellolicious**** – You truly made me crack up with your reviews… and breakfast war! You helped the story progress quickly and you are awesome! Even if you don't review anymore… but oh well! You still rock!**

**Greenteamoose**** – Most awesome reviewer in the history of awesome reviewers in this entire story! You didn't stop reviewing, and you seriously are the main motivator for finishing this thing. You are so cool, that I can't even think of an adjective to describe you! You're green-y, and tea-y and most importantly, moose-y. You are awesome. And all the grammar corrections made me a much better writer. Thank you.**

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I know some people aren't too happy with the ending (I had to listen to a lot of angry music to write it), but Emiko was eventually going to do something to get her kicked out of Konoha. She figured they would kick her out as soon as they found out what she did(which they would have). It also makes way for a sequel. The cool thing is that most of the things I thought I had made up were actually right. When Haku attacks Gatou, there is a ring around his pupil. Also there _is_ two Chuunin Exams per year, as well as there being a festival. And no, what Emiko did was _not_ a technique from the Hyuuga clan, she can't see the chakra system so that would be impossible for her to do it. What she did was _inspired_ by one of the moves she saw in the Hyuuga Clan book.

So yes, there will be the sequel. This story was actually a prequel and the next one is the real story, story. It will have (hopefully) much better writing and be less… well, stupid. For all of you planning to read the next one, **please please watch Shippuuden at least**!This story is going to take place from the beginning of Shippuuden to where the manga is now. You should definitely read the manga if you don't want to get spoiled. This story, which will be called Michi (Path), will be quite a lot different from this one.

If anyone wants to help me write a summary of Breathe for Everything Ends, that would be greatly appreciated. I suck at summaries, and for the next story I should have one. Also, if anyone knows anyone or would like to help me (kind of like a beta-reader) figure out the next story, please message me. I think I might need a lot of help with this one. :)

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_**We each have our own path to follow, but that doesn't mean that we can't cross paths. Maybe one day, one day soon, we'll see each other again.**_


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